Syria's National Museum Struck by Theft of Ancient Artifacts

Sun Nov 30 2025 21:29:12 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a shocking incident, the National Museum in Damascus has reported the theft of ancient statues and artifacts, which were discovered missing after a break-in. This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding the protection of cultural heritage in Syria.

Ancient statues and artifacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus. The theft was discovered when staff noticed a broken door and found six missing Roman-era marble statues. Investigations are underway as officials work to enhance security measures.

Ancient statues and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say.

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

The six missing statues were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, one official told the Associated Press.

Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had opened an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits, and that measures had been taken to strengthen protection and monitoring systems.

The head of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that security forces were investigating the theft, which he said had targeted several archaeological statues and rare collectibles. He added that guards at the museum and other individuals were being questioned.

The National Museum, which was established in 1919, houses the most important archaeological collection in Syria, including clay cuneiform tablets from Ugarit and ancient Greco-Roman sculptures.

The museum was forced to close in 2012, one year after the start of the devastating civil war. Many artefacts were evacuated for protection.

It reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025, a month after rebel forces overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.

All six of Syria's UNESCO World Heritage sites were damaged or partially destroyed during the civil war, with significant cultural loss due to looting and destruction.