Historic Artifacts Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable statues and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, officials say.
The burglary was discovered on Monday, when staff reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been forced from the interior.
The half-dozen missing statues were crafted from marble and traced back to the Roman period, an authority stated to the Associated Press.
The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to enhance security and monitoring systems.
The head of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as stating that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "ancient sculptures and unique items".
He continued that museum protectors at the institution and other individuals were being questioned.
The National Museum, which was founded in 1919, contains the significant archaeological collection in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the 14th Century BC from an ancient city, where evidence of the most ancient linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost historical locations of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was built at Dura Europos.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the start of the internal strife. The majority of the artifacts was removed and preserved at secure places to ensure their safety.
It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad.
All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the civil war.
The Islamic State group demolished several temples and additional edifices at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. Unesco condemned the demolition as a atrocity.
Countless cultural items were also destroyed or taken from dig sites and cultural institutions.
