Thieves broke into Syria’s nationwide museum and stole a number of historical statues relationship again to the Roman period, officers mentioned Tuesday.
The Nationwide Museum of Damascus was briefly closed after the heist was found early Monday. The museum reopened in January because the nation reels from a 14-year civil battle and the autumn of the 54-year Assad household rule final yr.
The nation’s largest museum homes priceless antiquities. After the civil battle began in March 2011, safety was improved with steel gates and surveillance cameras, and authorities moved a whole bunch of artifacts to Damascus from across the nation.
An official from Syria’s Directorate-Common for Antiquities and Museums informed The Related Press that six marble statues had been stolen, and an investigation was ongoing.
One other official informed the AP that the theft occurred Sunday night time and was found when one of many doorways on the classical division was discovered damaged.
Each officers spoke on situation of anonymity in step with rules as a result of the federal government had not but made an announcement.
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The police chief in Damascus, Brig. Gen. Osama Atkeh, later informed state information company SANA that a number of statues and uncommon collectibles had been stolen from the museum. He mentioned that guards there and different people had been being questioned.
An AP journalist tried to enter the museum on Tuesday and was informed by guards that it was closed.
The part of the museum the place the statues had been reported stolen is “a stupendous and traditionally wealthy division with artifacts relationship again to the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine durations,” mentioned Maamoun Abdulkarim, the previous head of the federal government’s antiquities and museums division.
The museum reopened on Jan. 8, a month after rebels ousted President Bashar Assad, ushering in a brand new period for the nation. Scared of looting, the museum closed after the offensive ended 5 a long time of Assad household rule.
The years of battle had badly affected areas together with the historic central city of Palmyra, as soon as held by the Islamic State group. In 2015, IS members destroyed mausoleums in Palmyra’s UNESCO World Heritage website that’s well-known for its 2,000-year-old Roman colonnades, different ruins and priceless artifacts.
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