Valuable Artifacts Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus
Valuable artifacts and cultural objects have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm.
The theft was discovered on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that an entrance had been broken from the inside.
The multiple taken pieces were made of marble and originated to the Roman era, an authority stated to the Associated Press.
Cultural heritage officials said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "details surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that measures had been enacted to improve protection and observation methods.
The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that security forces were examining the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles".
He added that museum protectors at the museum and additional people were being interrogated.
The National Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, holds the significant cultural treasures in the country.
It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from an ancient city, where proof of the earliest writing system was discovered; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was established at an ancient location.
The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. A large portion of the artifacts was removed and kept at undisclosed sites to safeguard them.
It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
Each of the six of nationally recognized sites were damaged or partly ruined during the conflict.
The Islamic State group blew up multiple ancient buildings and other structures at Palmyra, stating that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization condemned the damage as a atrocity.
Numerous artefacts were also destroyed or looted from dig sites and collections.
