🔗 Share this article Valuable Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The Damascus Museum reopened fully in January of this year, four weeks after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. Valuable sculptures and other artefacts have been stolen from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, sources confirm. The robbery was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been damaged from the inside. The multiple stolen pieces were crafted from marble and traced back to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the news agency. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a group of artifacts", and that actions had been taken to enhance protection and monitoring systems. The director of internal security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was cited by the official media as declaring that authorities were investigating the robbery, which he said had focused on several "archaeological statues and unique items". He noted that guards at the museum and other individuals were being interviewed. The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, holds the primary archaeological collection in the country. It features clay cuneiform tablets originating to the Bronze Age from historical site, where proof of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE Greco-Roman sculptures from historical site, one of the most important historical locations of the ancient world; and a third century Jewish temple that was constructed at another archaeological site. The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. The majority of the collection was removed and kept at secure places to ensure their safety. It began limited operations in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad. All six of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war. The Islamic State group demolished numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the destruction as a atrocity. Many historical objects were also lost or taken from historical locations and collections.