Valuable Artifacts Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Ancient sculptures and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The robbery was found on Monday, when staff allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior.
The half-dozen stolen pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman era, an authority informed the media outlet.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to identify the "events surrounding the disappearance of a collection of exhibits", and that actions had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and observation methods.
The chief of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He noted that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was founded in the early twentieth century, houses the primary historical artifacts in Syria.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the earliest linguistic system was uncovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world; and a third century religious building that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the beginning of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was transferred and kept at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, four weeks after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or partially destroyed during the civil war.
The militant faction blew up several ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. Unesco censured the damage as a violation.
Countless historical objects were also damaged or looted from archaeological sites and museums.
