đź”— Share this article Ancient Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The National Museum resumed complete operations in January of 2025, a month after the removal of the Assad government. Ancient artifacts and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report. The burglary was found on the start of the week, when museum workers allegedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior. The half-dozen stolen statues were crafted from marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, a source stated to the news agency. The nation's antiquities authority said it had launched a probe to determine the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a collection of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to enhance security and monitoring systems. The director of internal security in Damascus province, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as declaring that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items". He added that museum protectors at the museum and other persons were being interrogated. The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the primary historical artifacts in Syria. It contains ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from historical site, where proof of the oldest known complete alphabet was discovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD ancient art from historical site, one of the most important cultural centres of the historical period; and a ancient synagogue that was built at Dura Europos. The institution was had to cease operations in 2012, a year after the start of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was transferred and preserved at undisclosed sites to protect them. It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in January 2025, one month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime. Every one of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war. The militant faction destroyed numerous temples and other structures at the archaeological site, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a atrocity. Many historical objects were also damaged or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.