Robbery at Syria's National Museum Raises Concerns Over Artifacts

Thieves have broken into Syria's National Museum in Damascus and stolen several valuable Roman artifacts, according to multiple media reports. The break-in reportedly took place on Sunday evening and was discovered early Monday.

The Associated Press states that the thieves took ancient statues dating back to the Roman era, while other outlets report that six gold ingots were among the missing items. An investigation is currently underway.

This incident follows warnings from international organizations about the increasing risks to cultural heritage in Syria. In June, the Paris-based International Council of Museums reported that an active black market for cultural objects had emerged in the country, with looting and illicit trafficking of artifacts on the rise.

In response, the Syrian antiquities agency and UNESCO launched a project to upgrade museum security systems just two months prior to this robbery. Founded in 1919, the National Museum in Damascus is one of the oldest and most significant museums in the Arab world, housing collections that span thousands of years of Syrian history.

The museum was closed in 2012 during the civil war, partially reopened in 2018, and resumed full public access in January 2025. The turmoil in Syria, which intensified following the ouster of longtime leader Bashar Assad last year, has led to clashes between the new government's forces and rival factions.

This unrest culminated in a surprise offensive by the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Al-Qaeda offshoot, which captured Damascus in late 2024. HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa then became Syria's president.

Recently, he met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington after being removed from the U.S. State Department's global terrorist list. Following their meeting, Syria pledged to join the U.S.-led coalition against the militant jihadist organization Islamic State, which had previously devastated the country's cultural heritage in 2015.

The Islamic State seized the ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and destroyed significant monuments, including the two-thousand-year-old Temple of Bel, while also looting countless artifacts and executing the site's chief archaeologist.

The recent robbery at Syria's National Museum raises serious concerns over the ongoing threats to cultural heritage in conflict zones and emphasizes the urgent need for international efforts to protect and preserve archaeological treasures.