The National Museum of Damascus temporarily closed this week after a theft of artifacts from its classical department. Six gold ingots and six Hellenistic marble statues were reportedly stolen, with a broken door discovered Monday morning. Several employees and guards were detained and interrogated before being released. Damascus police chief Brig. Gen. Osama Atkeh confirmed the theft and stated an investigation is underway. The museum had only reopened in January after being closed since December 7, 2024, when anti-Assad forces approached the capital.
This theft underscores the ongoing vulnerability of Syria's cultural heritage after 14 years of civil war and the fall of the Assad regime. The museum, established in 1919, houses thousands of antiquities from prehistory through the Roman and Byzantine eras. The heist follows decades of conflict that saw major heritage sites like Palmyra targeted by ISIS, with at least 41 cultural sites damaged by 2015. The incident comes just after UNESCO and the Aliph Foundation held the first international conference on restoring Syria's heritage, highlighting the fragility of recovery efforts.