đŸ”— Share this article Valuable Sculptures Taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in January of this year, a month after the deposition of Syria's former leader. Valuable artifacts and other artefacts have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say. The theft was found on the start of the week, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside. The six stolen sculptures were crafted from marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official told the news agency. Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that actions had been taken to enhance safeguarding and observation methods. The director of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that authorities were investigating the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles". He added that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being interrogated. The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, houses the primary historical artifacts in Syria. It includes historical records tracing back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the classical era; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at an ancient location. The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the start of the destructive conflict. The majority of the artifacts was removed and preserved at secure places to protect them. It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, a month after insurgents overthrew the Assad regime. Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war. The Islamic State group destroyed multiple ancient buildings and historical sites at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the destruction as a war crime. Numerous historical objects were also lost or looted from archaeological sites and collections.