Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.
The theft was noticed on Monday, when employees reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the inside.
The multiple missing sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the media outlet.
Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the theft of a number of items", and that steps had been enacted to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems.
The head of national security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was cited by the official media as stating that authorities were probing the incident, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and valuable objects".
He added that museum protectors at the facility and other persons were being interviewed.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, contains the primary historical artifacts in the country.
It features historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a ancient Jewish temple that was established at another archaeological site.
The institution was forced to close in 2012, a year after the beginning of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in recent years and resumed full operations in early this year, four weeks after rebel forces deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partly ruined during the conflict.
The Islamic State group destroyed multiple ancient buildings and other structures at the ancient city, asserting that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a violation.
Countless cultural items were also lost or taken from dig sites and museums.
