Valuable Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Museum Exterior
The Damascus Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, one month after the deposition of Syria's former leader.

Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm.

The burglary was discovered on the start of the week, when employees reportedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside.

The six missing sculptures were made of marble and originated to the Roman period, an authority told the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of artifacts", and that actions had been implemented to enhance protection and observation methods.

The head of national security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as stating that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".

He noted that security personnel at the institution and other persons were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, among the foremost ancient sites of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was established at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, one year after the beginning of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was transferred and stored at secure places to safeguard them.

It partially resumed in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, four weeks after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime.

Every one of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.

The IS organization destroyed several religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the damage as a war crime.

Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and collections.

Catherine Martinez
Catherine Martinez

Elara is a literary critic and cultural analyst with a passion for uncovering hidden narratives in modern writing.