đź”— Share this article Ancient Artifacts Taken from the National Museum in Damascus The Damascus Museum reopened fully in January of this year, one month after the deposition of President Bashar al-Assad. Ancient sculptures and additional items have been removed from Syria's National Museum in the capital, sources confirm. The burglary was found on Monday, when staff reportedly found that a doorway had been forced from the inside. The half-dozen missing sculptures were made of marble and dated back to the Roman era, a source told the Associated Press. The nation's antiquities authority said it had initiated an inquiry to identify the "circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a number of exhibits", and that measures had been implemented to improve safeguarding and observation methods. The director of national security in the Damascus region, Brig-Gen Osama Atkeh, was referenced by the government press as declaring that authorities were examining the incident, which he said had focused on several "historical artifacts and rare collectibles". He added that security personnel at the facility and additional people were being interviewed. The cultural institution, which was established in 1919, holds the most important cultural treasures in the country. It features historical records dating back to the Bronze Age from Ugarit, where indications of the earliest linguistic system was found; early centuries CE ancient art from the ancient city, one of the most important historical locations of the ancient world; and a ancient religious building that was established at another archaeological site. The institution was compelled to shut in 2012, one year after the outbreak of the devastating civil war. A large portion of the holdings was evacuated and kept at undisclosed sites to ensure their safety. It partially resumed in recent years and resumed full operations in the beginning of the year, four weeks after insurgents deposed President Bashar al-Assad. All six of nationally recognized sites were harmed or significantly impacted during the civil war. The militant faction demolished several temples and historical sites at the archaeological site, stating that they were un-Islamic. The cultural organization censured the demolition as a atrocity. Numerous historical objects were also destroyed or taken from historical locations and cultural institutions.