Khaberni - The National Museum in Damascus, Syria, was subjected to a theft, according to a source close to the museum's management, while authorities continue their investigations without any official statement so far.
Two sources, one close to the management of the National Museum in Damascus and the other a security source, told Agence France-Presse that the museum was targeted early on Monday, November 10, 2025, in a theft that included a number of valuable archaeological pieces exhibited in the classical wing.
The administrative source, who preferred not to reveal his name for security reasons, clarified that the stolen items were "six gold castings" that were on display in the mentioned wing, confirming that investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators. A source familiar with the investigation also verified this information.
The source indicated that the museum administration has not yet issued any official comment, settling for a brief statement from one of the officials stating that "the museum is closed for security reasons, and will reopen next week," while the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums has refused to respond to journalists' inquiries about the details of the incident.
In turn, a security source told Agence France-Presse that several employees and guards working at the museum were detained on the morning of Monday, hours after the discovery of the theft, where they were investigated and then released later.
An official in the Syrian Museums Administration explained that security forces prevented staff from entering the exhibition halls since the incident occurred.
Agence France-Presse's team observed complete quietness around the museum on Tuesday morning, which was closed as usual on its weekly closing day, without any notable security or exceptional activity in the surrounding area.
The classical wing of the National Museum in Damascus is one of its most prominent sections, containing a collection of rare pieces from various historical periods including Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine, gathered from major archaeological sites across Syria.
Its possessions include funeral beds, unique wall paintings, and rare stone statues.
The museum was reopened on January 8, 2025, after being closed since the events that preceded the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, as it was closed then due to fears of looting and theft.
The museum's administration confirmed then that its wings had not been subject to any violations or loss of archaeological pieces during the closure period.
The National Museum in Damascus is one of the oldest museums in the Middle East, and a home for collections representing a continuous civilizational sequence from the Canaanites and Greeks to the Romans and the Umayyads and Byzantines.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria in 2011, major historical cities and archaeological sites like Palmyra (central Syria) and the old city of Aleppo (north) have suffered extensive damage, along with the theft of tens of thousands of archaeological pieces.
A report issued in 2020 by the Gerda Henkel Foundation and the Syrian Association for the Protection of Antiquities based in Paris stated that over 40,000 archaeological pieces had been stolen from museums and sites in Syria since the beginning of the war.
The chaotic conditions that accompanied the years of conflict fueled an illegal trade in antiquities, involving the smuggling of coins, statues, and mosaic pieces abroad, to be sold in the global black market for millions of dollars.
According to international reports, various armed groups benefited from this trade, including ISIS and other factions, as well as individuals and local smuggling networks.
