🔗 Share this article Historic Statues Taken from Syria's National Museum Located in Damascus The Damascus Museum resumed complete operations in the first month of this year, one month after the removal of President Bashar al-Assad. Historic artifacts and cultural objects have been removed from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, officials say. The burglary was found on the start of the week, when staff allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside. The six taken statues were made of marble and originated to the ancient Roman times, an authority told the Associated Press. Cultural heritage officials said it had launched a probe to establish the "events surrounding the loss of a group of exhibits", and that steps had been enacted to enhance security and surveillance. The chief of internal security in Damascus province, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was quoted by the government press as declaring that security forces were examining the theft, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and unique items". He added that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being interrogated. The National Museum, which was created in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country. It contains historical records dating back to the ancient era from Ugarit, where indications of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; early centuries CE ancient art from Palmyra, a significant ancient sites of the historical period; and a 3rd Century AD Jewish temple that was established at an ancient location. The facility was had to cease operations in the early 2010s, one year after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. Most of the holdings was evacuated and preserved at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety. It reopened partially in 2018 and returned to normal in early this year, a month after opposition groups deposed President Bashar al-Assad. Every one of nationally recognized sites were harmed or partially destroyed during the internal struggle. The militant faction blew up multiple religious structures and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were idolatrous. The cultural organization censured the damage as a atrocity. Many artefacts were also destroyed or looted from archaeological sites and museums.