🔗 Share this article Valuable Statues Taken from the National Museum in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in January of this year, a month after the removal of the Assad government. Ancient statues and additional items have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, officials say. The burglary was noticed on Monday, when employees allegedly found that an entrance had been damaged from the inside. The half-dozen stolen sculptures were marble creations and traced back to the ancient Roman times, one official informed the media outlet. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the theft of a group of items", and that steps had been enacted to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods. The director of national security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as stating that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items". He noted that museum protectors at the facility and other individuals were being questioned. The Damascus Museum, which was established in the early twentieth century, houses the most important historical artifacts in Syria. It features historical records originating to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from Palmyra, among the foremost ancient sites of the historical period; and a ancient religious building that was established at an ancient location. The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the start of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was transferred and stored at secure places to safeguard them. It began limited operations in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, a month after rebel forces overthrew Syria's former leader. Every one of the country's cultural landmarks were affected or significantly impacted during the civil war. The Islamic State group demolished several ancient buildings and historical sites at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. The cultural organization denounced the damage as a war crime. Many historical objects were also lost or looted from historical locations and museums.