🔗 Share this article

Valuable statues and additional items have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report.

The theft was discovered on the start of the week, when staff reportedly found that one of the museum's doors had been broken from the inside.

The half-dozen missing statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman era, an authority informed the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the loss of a group of items", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen security and monitoring systems.

The chief of national security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the official media as saying that authorities were examining the robbery, which he said had targeted several "ancient sculptures and unique items".

He added that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being interviewed.

The Damascus Museum, which was created in 1919, contains the most important archaeological collection in Syria.

It includes ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from Ugarit, where evidence of the most ancient writing system was found; Greco-Roman period ancient art from the ancient city, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD synagogue that was established at an ancient location.

The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the artifacts was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety.

It partially resumed in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.

Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partially destroyed during the conflict.

The IS organization destroyed numerous temples and other structures at Palmyra, claiming that they were against their beliefs. International authorities condemned the damage as a atrocity.

Countless historical objects were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and collections.