Historic Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.
The half-dozen taken pieces were crafted from marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority informed the Associated Press.
Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had launched a probe to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen protection and observation methods.
The head of internal security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as saying that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items".
He continued that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated.
The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the primary cultural treasures in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was established at another archaeological site.
The museum was forced to close in 2012, twelve months after the beginning of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after insurgents overthrew Syria's former leader.
Each of the six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The IS organization blew up numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, stating that they were un-Islamic. Unesco censured the destruction as a violation.
Many artefacts were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.
