🔗 Share this article Historic Statues Stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in the first month of this year, four weeks after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. Ancient sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say. The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside. The half-dozen stolen sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the Roman era, an authority informed the media outlet. Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been enacted to strengthen protection and observation methods. The head of national security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects". He added that security personnel at the institution and other individuals were being interviewed. The Damascus Museum, which was founded in 1919, holds the most important archaeological collection in the country. It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient writing system was discovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, a significant ancient sites of the ancient world; and a third century synagogue that was established at Dura Europos. The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. Most of the artifacts was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them. It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in early this year, a month after opposition groups deposed the Assad regime. All six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war. The militant faction demolished several temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the destruction as a violation. Numerous cultural items were also damaged or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.