UPDATE: Thieves have executed a brazen heist at the National Museum of Damascus, stealing six invaluable Roman-era statues in the early hours of November 10. This shocking incident marks a significant setback for Syria as it strives to recover from years of civil conflict and dictatorship.
Staff discovered the theft when they found the door to the classical department broken, triggering an immediate investigation by Syrian authorities. The Associated Press reports that the museum, which houses treasures spanning over 11,000 years of Syrian history, is now on high alert.
The heist comes in the wake of mounting cultural heritage looting, which surged after the fall of former dictator Bashar al-Assad last December. The museum had previously closed for six years following the onset of the civil war in 2011 and was briefly shut again in January after regime changes.
In addition to the statues, reports from AFP indicate that gold ingots of unknown origin were also stolen during the incident. The Syrian Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the theft.
“It appears that the operation was carried out by individuals with good knowledge of the Damascus Museum and the vulnerabilities that Syrian museums have faced for many years,”
stated Adnan Almohamad, an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck College, University of London, who specializes in archaeological heritage looting in Syria. His insights suggest that this theft may have been an inside job, raising concerns about security protocols at the museum.
Almohamad also pointed out disturbing similarities between this week’s theft and a prior incident in 2010, where 13 items were stolen from a national museum in Deir ez-Zor. In that case, a museum staff member was implicated in the crime as regime forces evacuated the facility during the rise of the Islamic State.
On a cautious note, Almohamad mentioned, “On the positive side, the stolen items came from the exhibition hall, where objects are well documented, which reduces the risk of illicit sale.” He warned that thefts from storage areas, often disorganized due to space constraints, would present much greater challenges for identification and recovery.
The situation is evolving as authorities work to piece together how such a significant theft could occur in a site of national heritage. As investigations continue, the impact of this theft on Syria’s cultural heritage and its restoration efforts remains to be seen.
As the world watches, the urgency of protecting cultural treasures in conflict zones has never been more pressing. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for increased security measures at museums across the region.
