Six Roman-era Marble Statues Reported Stolen from Damascus National Museum

Museum theft and investigation

Museum staff discovered on Monday that a door had been broken from the inside and six marble statues dating to the Roman era were missing from Syria's National Museum in Damascus. Syria's Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums has opened an inquiry to determine the circumstances of the loss and says it has strengthened protection and monitoring systems. Brigadier-General Osama Atkeh, head of internal security in Damascus province, told state media that security forces are investigating and that museum guards and other individuals are being questioned.

Context and heritage concerns

The National Museum, founded in 1919, houses Syria's most significant archaeological collection, including Ugaritic cuneiform tablets, Greco‑Roman sculptures from Palmyra and the 3rd century Dura Europos synagogue. The museum was closed in 2012 and most items were evacuated to secret locations; it reopened partially in 2018 and resumed full operations in January 2025. Syria’s cultural heritage suffered extensive damage during the civil war, with all six of the country’s UNESCO World Heritage sites harmed and numerous artefacts looted or destroyed, including deliberate demolitions at Palmyra by the Islamic State. The theft is under active investigation, officials say, as reported by BBC

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