Syrian authorities have briefly closed the nationwide museum in Damascus and launched an investigation after thieves made off with a number of items, an official informed AFP on Wednesday.
The theft occurred in a single day Sunday to Monday within the so-called classical wing of the ability, which was spared throughout Syria’s civil warfare between 2011 and late final yr and which homes priceless artefacts relationship again to antiquity.
“Official investigations have begun and the museum will stay closed briefly till the gathering of proof has completed,” the official stated, requesting anonymity.
“A listing of all of the archaeological gadgets is at present underway to make sure no different items are lacking,” they added.
An official from the division overseeing museums, additionally requesting anonymity, informed AFP that “six small Roman-era statues of the goddess Venus” had been taken.
An official had beforehand informed AFP that gold ingots had been stolen.
Syria’s antiquities and museums division stated in an announcement Tuesday that an official investigation had been opened in coordination with safety authorities, with out specifying which gadgets had been stolen.
It stated it had taken “quick measures to make sure the security of the collections and help the safety and monitoring system contained in the museum”.
The classical wing is likely one of the museum’s most necessary sections, dwelling to artefacts from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras.
The museum was closed on Wednesday and a safety guard informed AFP that “there are not any vacationer visits till subsequent week”.
The nationwide museum had shut its doorways resulting from fears of looting shortly earlier than longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was deposed final December by an Islamist coalition. It reopened in January.
The collections embrace tens of hundreds of things from Syria’s lengthy historical past, starting from prehistoric instruments to Greco-Roman sculptures to items of Islamic artwork.
Through the civil warfare, many items saved elsewhere within the nation had been delivered to the ability for safekeeping.
The warfare noticed archaeological websites bombed, museums looted and plenty of artefacts stolen, producing thousands and thousands of {dollars} for traffickers.