Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus

Cultural Exterior
The Damascus Museum reopened fully in January of this year, a month after the deposition of President Bashar al-Assad.

Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report.

The robbery was noticed on Monday, when employees allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.

The half-dozen taken pieces were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that actions had been implemented to improve safeguarding and monitoring systems.

The chief of domestic security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that authorities were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".

He noted that security personnel at the museum and other persons were being questioned.

The National Museum, which was created in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.

It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was discovered; Greco-Roman period classical statues from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was established at Dura Europos.

The museum was compelled to shut in 2012, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was transferred and preserved at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, a month after rebel forces removed Syria's former leader.

Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the civil war.

The Islamic State group blew up multiple temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a violation.

Many historical objects were also damaged or stolen from archaeological sites and collections.

Christopher Marsh
Christopher Marsh

Elara Vance is a tech journalist and digital strategist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and consumer electronics.