Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient statues and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report.
The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple taken sculptures were marble creations and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to determine the "details surrounding the disappearance of a collection of items", and that measures had been taken to improve security and observation methods.
The head of internal security in the capital area, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the government press as saying that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He noted that security personnel at the museum and additional people were being questioned.
The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the most important historical artifacts in Syria.
It includes clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where indications of the most ancient writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site.
The museum was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and kept at secure places to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and resumed full operations in early this year, one month after rebel forces deposed the Assad regime.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.
The IS organization blew up numerous ancient buildings and historical sites at the archaeological site, claiming that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the demolition as a violation.
Numerous cultural items were also destroyed or taken from archaeological sites and collections.
