🔗 Share this article

Valuable statues and cultural objects have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, sources confirm.

The theft was found on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the interior.

The multiple missing statues were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the media outlet.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to identify the "details surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to strengthen security and observation methods.

The head of domestic security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as declaring that security forces were probing the robbery, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He continued that guards at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.

The National Museum, which was created in 1919, houses the significant archaeological collection in the country.

It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient writing system was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from Palmyra, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was constructed at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the start of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the collection was transferred and stored at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.

It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in early this year, one month after insurgents removed President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or significantly impacted during the internal struggle.

The militant faction blew up numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, claiming that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the damage as a violation.

Countless historical objects were also damaged or stolen from dig sites and museums.