🔗 Share this article Historic Artifacts Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus The Damascus Museum reopened fully in January of this year, four weeks after the overthrow of Syria's former leader. Valuable statues and other artefacts have been removed from the National Museum of Syria in the capital, authorities report. The burglary was noticed on the start of the week, when museum workers apparently found that one of the museum's doors had been damaged from the interior. The multiple stolen pieces were crafted from marble and dated back to the ancient Roman times, one official stated to the Associated Press. Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "events surrounding the loss of a collection of items", and that actions had been enacted to strengthen protection and observation methods. The chief of internal security in Damascus province, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as saying that authorities were probing the theft, which he said had targeted several "archaeological statues and rare collectibles". He added that security personnel at the museum and other persons were being interviewed. The National Museum, which was established in 1919, holds the significant archaeological collection in the country. It contains ancient inscribed tablets tracing back to the 14th Century BC from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest writing system was discovered; early centuries CE classical statues from historical site, among the foremost historical locations of the classical era; and a ancient religious building that was built at an ancient location. The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the internal strife. Most of the collection was evacuated and stored at secure places to ensure their safety. It reopened partially in recent years and completely reopened in the beginning of the year, one month after opposition groups overthrew the Assad regime. All six of the country's cultural landmarks were harmed or partially destroyed during the conflict. The militant faction blew up multiple ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, claiming that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization denounced the demolition as a atrocity. Countless artefacts were also lost or taken from archaeological sites and collections.