🔗 Share this article Ancient Artifacts Removed from the National Museum Located in Damascus The National Museum reopened fully in January of this year, a month after the overthrow of the Assad government. Ancient statues and cultural objects have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report. The burglary was found on Monday, when museum workers reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside. The half-dozen taken statues were marble creations and originated to the Roman period, an authority told the media outlet. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to establish the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of items", and that measures had been implemented to enhance safeguarding and monitoring systems. The chief of domestic security in the capital area, Security Chief Atkeh, was quoted by the official media as saying that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and valuable objects". He noted that guards at the institution and other persons were being interviewed. The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the significant archaeological collection in the country. It contains ancient inscribed tablets originating to the ancient era from an ancient city, where indications of the most ancient writing system was uncovered; early centuries CE classical statues from the ancient city, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was constructed at Dura Europos. The institution was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, a year after the beginning of the internal strife. A large portion of the holdings was removed and kept at secret locations to ensure their safety. It partially resumed in 2018 and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, a month after opposition groups removed Syria's former leader. All six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partly ruined during the internal struggle. The IS organization destroyed numerous temples and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. Unesco censured the damage as a violation. Many artefacts were also lost or stolen from historical locations and museums.