Valuable Sculptures Stolen from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in the capital, authorities report.
The burglary was noticed on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple stolen sculptures were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, one official told the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had opened an investigation to establish the "details surrounding the loss of a group of items", and that actions had been taken to enhance safeguarding and surveillance.
The head of national security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that law enforcement were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He noted that guards at the institution and other individuals were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, houses the most important cultural treasures in the country.
It contains clay cuneiform tablets dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a 3rd Century AD religious building that was constructed at an ancient location.
The institution was forced to close in the early 2010s, twelve months after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the holdings was removed and stored at secret locations to safeguard them.
It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partly ruined during the civil war.
The IS organization demolished multiple ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the destruction as a atrocity.
Numerous cultural items were also lost or looted from dig sites and cultural institutions.
