Shafaq News – Damascus

Syrian authorities launched an investigation after several ancient Roman-era statues and rare artifacts were stolen from the National Museum in Damascus.

The Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums said the theft occurred inside the museum’s Classical Antiquities section on Sunday.

Sources told Shafaq News that the museum has been temporarily closed pending the completion of security checks and inventory verification.

Heritage expert Dr. Sami al-Abdullah of Damascus University described the theft as “a serious cultural loss,” urging tighter electronic surveillance and better museum security training. “Each missing artifact is a loss to Syria’s historical identity,” he said.

The National Museum of Damascus, founded in 1919 and officially opened in 1936, houses one of the Middle East’s richest archaeological collections, including relics from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods.