Ancient Artifacts Stolen from the National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic statues and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.
The robbery was discovered on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside.
The half-dozen taken sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "events surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that actions had been implemented to strengthen security and monitoring systems.
The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles".
He continued that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was founded in 1919, houses the primary archaeological collection in the country.
It contains historical records originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was found; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, a significant ancient sites of the classical era; and a ancient Jewish temple that was built at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. The majority of the collection was removed and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.
It reopened partially in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, a month after insurgents deposed Syria's former leader.
All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict.
The IS organization destroyed several religious structures and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and cultural institutions.
