🔗 Share this article Valuable Artifacts Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The Damascus Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, one month after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. Historic artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say. The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the interior. The half-dozen missing statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, an authority told the media outlet. Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen safeguarding and monitoring systems. The head of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that law enforcement were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "archaeological statues and valuable objects". He continued that museum protectors at the facility and other persons were being questioned. The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the significant archaeological collection in Syria. It contains ancient inscribed tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where indications of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was built at another archaeological site. The facility was forced to close in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the holdings was removed and preserved at secret locations to protect them. It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after rebel forces overthrew the Assad regime. All six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict. The militant faction demolished multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the demolition as a war crime. Many cultural items were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and museums.