🔗 Share this article Valuable Statues Removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus The Damascus Museum resumed complete operations in the first month of this year, four weeks after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been taken from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, authorities report. The theft was found on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that an entrance had been broken from the interior. The six taken statues were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, a source told the news agency. Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "details surrounding the disappearance of a group of items", and that steps had been taken to improve protection and monitoring systems. The head of internal security in the Damascus region, General Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were examining the theft, which he said had affected several "ancient sculptures and rare collectibles". He continued that security personnel at the museum and other persons were being interviewed. The Damascus Museum, which was created in the early twentieth century, contains the primary archaeological collection in Syria. It features clay cuneiform tablets tracing back to the ancient era from an ancient city, where proof of the most ancient complete alphabet was found; 1st and 2nd Century AD Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, one of the most important ancient sites of the historical period; and a third century Jewish temple that was built at an ancient location. The institution was compelled to shut in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the holdings was transferred and kept at secure places to protect them. It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in early this year, one month after insurgents deposed the Assad regime. All six of nationally recognized sites were affected or partially destroyed during the internal struggle. The Islamic State group blew up numerous ancient buildings and additional edifices at the archaeological site, stating that they were against their beliefs. International authorities denounced the destruction as a violation. Countless cultural items were also destroyed or looted from historical locations and museums.