The National Museum in the Syrian capital remained closed on Tuesday, two days after an overnight burglary emptied display cases in its classical wing.
“The theft affected six archaeological pieces that were on display in the classical wing of the museum,” said a source close to the museum’s management, according to France 24. A museum official added, “The museum is closed for security reasons and will be reopened next week,” reported Arab News.
Investigators said the break-in happened between late Sunday and early Monday. They reported that thieves removed several ancient statues and roughly six gold bars from public exhibits, France 24 noted.
“A number of the museum's employees and guards were detained on Monday after the theft and were interrogated before being released,” said a security source cited by France 24. Another official from the Syrian Museums Administration said, “The security forces prevented employees from entering the exhibition halls since the theft occurred on the night of Sunday to Monday,” the agency added.
Syrian media quoting the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) said a statement was being prepared to detail the burglary. Agence France-Presse journalists posted outside the complex, normally closed on Tuesdays, observed no unusual movement, and guards declined to comment.
The classical wing holds Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine artifacts recovered from sites across Syria, including funerary beds, wall paintings, and stone statues that, according to DGAM catalogues, trace civilizations “from the Canaanites to the Umayyads.”
Sources involved in the investigation told France 24 that the burglars targeted gold bars described as “golden castings.” The Bank of International Sale of Cultural Objects warned that pieces of this type can move quickly to illegal markets abroad.
Security officials reviewed closed-circuit footage, signs of forced entry, and possible links to earlier trafficking cases. “The investigation is ongoing,” one official said.
Founded in 1919 and opened in 1936, the National Museum of Damascus is Syria’s largest, housing more than 300,000 objects. After conflict erupted in 2011, authorities reinforced the building and moved many treasures—including works from Palmyra—into its halls. Those measures had protected the collection until now.
Academic studies and NGO reports cited by France 24 estimated that more than 40,000 Syrian artifacts have been stolen or illicitly excavated since 2011, with proceeds funding armed groups and smuggling networks.
The DGAM reopened the museum to the public on 8 January 2025 after years of wartime closure. Officials said internal work would continue until a full inventory was completed, while administrative and security sources confirmed that ancient gold bars and at least six statues were missing.
Produced with the assistance of a news-analysis system.