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Historic statues and other artefacts have been stolen from the National Museum of Syria in Damascus, sources confirm.

The robbery was found on Monday, when employees allegedly found that a doorway had been broken from the inside.

The multiple taken sculptures were made of marble and traced back to the Roman period, an authority stated to the media outlet.

The nation's antiquities authority said it had opened an investigation to identify the "circumstances surrounding the loss of a number of exhibits", and that actions had been taken to strengthen safeguarding and observation methods.

The chief of internal security in the Damascus region, Security Chief Atkeh, was referenced by the state-run Sana news agency as stating that security forces were investigating the robbery, which he said had affected several "historical artifacts and valuable objects".

He noted that museum protectors at the facility and additional people were being questioned.

The cultural institution, which was founded in the early twentieth century, holds the significant archaeological collection in the country.

It features historical records originating to the ancient era from historical site, where evidence of the oldest known linguistic system was uncovered; 1st and 2nd Century AD classical statues from historical site, a significant cultural centres of the historical period; and a third century religious building that was built at another archaeological site.

The museum was had to cease operations in 2012, twelve months after the outbreak of the destructive conflict. The majority of the collection was removed and stored at secret locations to ensure their safety.

It began limited operations in 2018 and completely reopened in January 2025, one month after opposition groups removed the Assad regime.

All six of the country's cultural landmarks were damaged or partially destroyed during the internal struggle.

The Islamic State group destroyed several religious structures and other structures at Palmyra, asserting that they were against their beliefs. International authorities censured the demolition as a violation.

Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or stolen from dig sites and collections.