Authorities in Syria say thieves have stolen at least six Roman-era statues from the National Museum of Damascus, according to official statements to The Associated Press. The heist, which officials believe occurred on Sunday night, has prompted the museum’s temporary closure and investigation into what’s being called the most significant art theft since the end of Syria’s civil war.
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Evidence of break-in discovered Monday
According to officials with Syria’s Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums, staff discovered signs of forced entry early Monday, including a broken door leading to one of the museum’s main galleries.
Investigators say six marble statues were taken, though the exact pieces have not yet been publicly identified.
Police in Damascus confirmed that museum guards and staff members are being questioned, but no arrests have been made.
When an Associated Press reporter attempted to enter the museum on Tuesday, authorities reportedly denied access and barred photography.
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The Damascus National Museum is Syria’s oldest cultural institution, created in 1919, but closed for a number of years amid the country’s civil war.
Priceless collection targeted
The National Museum of Damascus houses one of the Middle East’s most extensive collections of ancient art, with artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras.
Many of its treasures were relocated from across Syria in 2011, when the country’s civil war began, in an effort to protect them from looting and destruction.
Former antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told the AP the theft took place in “a beautiful and historically rich department with artifacts dating back” thousands of years.
Museum reopened after Assad’s fall
The museum reopened at the beginning of this year, a month after rebels overthrew President Bashar Assad. The museum had closed briefly as concerns over potential looting rose after a rebel offensive ousted Assad from power.
The more than decade-long war had damaged historic areas, including the town of Palmyra, where Islamic State group (IS) members reportedly destroyed mausoleums in 2015 at an UNESCO World Heritage site that is renowned for its 2,000-year-old Roman colonnades, as well as other ruins and ancient artifacts.
Investigation underway
Syria’s antiquities authority released a brief statement confirming a security review and investigation into the theft, stating that steps were being taken to safeguard artifacts inside the museum.
Officials have not commented on whether professional smugglers may have taken the statues, but experts warn the pieces could quickly enter the black market for antiquities, where looted Syrian artifacts have fetched millions in recent years.
The Damascus heist comes just weeks after a high-profile jewelry theft at the Louvre in Paris, where thieves reportedly stole more than $100 million in gems, drawing renewed scrutiny to museum security worldwide.
