Several ancient statues from the Roman era were stolen during a burglary at Syria’s national museum in the capital city, as officials reported on Tuesday. The incident led to the temporary closure of the National Museum of Damascus, which had reopened in January following the country’s recent civil war and the end of the Assad family’s 54-year rule. The museum, known for its vast collection of priceless antiquities reflecting Syria’s rich history, had enhanced security measures like metal gates and surveillance cameras after the war broke out.
According to an official from Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, six marble statues were taken, and an investigation is currently underway. The theft was discovered on Monday morning after a break-in the previous night at the classical department, where the robbers had broken one of the doors to steal several Roman-era statues. The exact number of stolen artifacts was not disclosed by the official, who spoke anonymously due to government regulations.
Subsequently, the police chief in Damascus, Brig.-Gen. Osama Atkeh, confirmed that statues and rare collectibles were missing from the museum, and security personnel and other individuals were being interrogated. The museum remained closed to the public, with guards prohibiting photography. The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums later released a statement announcing an investigation into the theft and immediate measures to safeguard the remaining antiquities, without specifying the exact items stolen.
The section of the museum where the statues were taken is described as historically significant, housing artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods, as noted by Maamoun Abdulkarim, the former head of the Antiquities and Museums Department. Following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad by rebels, the museum reopened in January, marking a new chapter for Syria. Amid fears of looting during the political transition, the museum had closed temporarily after the regime change.
During the Syrian conflict that began in 2011, authorities had relocated numerous valuable artifacts to Damascus from various regions, including Palmyra, a town with a UNESCO World Heritage site that had been under ISIS control. The extremist group infamously destroyed mausoleums and other ancient treasures in Palmyra in 2015, highlighting the ongoing threats to Syria’s cultural heritage.