🔗 Share this article Ancient Statues Taken from the National Museum Located in Damascus The Damascus Museum resumed complete operations in the first month of this year, one month after the removal of the Assad government. Valuable artifacts and additional items have been taken from Syria's National Museum in Damascus, authorities report. The theft was found on Monday, when museum workers apparently found that a doorway had been broken from the inside. The half-dozen taken sculptures were marble creations and dated back to the ancient Roman times, a source informed the news agency. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to determine the "events surrounding the loss of a number of items", and that actions had been taken to strengthen protection and surveillance. The head of national security in the capital area, General Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as declaring that security forces were probing the theft, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and unique items". He continued that security personnel at the museum and other individuals were being interrogated. The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, contains the significant cultural treasures in the country. It features historical records dating back to the ancient era from historical site, where indications of the most ancient complete alphabet was discovered; Greco-Roman period Greco-Roman sculptures from the ancient city, a significant historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient synagogue that was constructed at another archaeological site. The museum was forced to close in 2012, a year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. Most of the artifacts was evacuated and stored at undisclosed sites to protect them. It partially resumed in recent years and returned to normal in the beginning of the year, four weeks after opposition groups removed President Bashar al-Assad. All six of Syria's Unesco World Heritage sites were damaged or significantly impacted during the conflict. The IS organization demolished several ancient buildings and additional edifices at Palmyra, asserting that they were un-Islamic. Unesco condemned the destruction as a violation. Countless cultural items were also damaged or taken from dig sites and museums.