(MENAFN- USA Art News) A shocking Damascus museum theft has occurred at the National Museum Damascus, one of the most important repositories of antiquities in the Middle East. On the night of November 9-10, thieves broke into the museum, making off with a number of priceless artifacts, triggering renewed concerns about the safety of Syria antiquities stolen after years of conflict.

Preliminary reports indicate the“classical” wing of the museum, housing items from the Roman, Hellenistic, and Byzantine periods, was the target. According to a museum employee, the most significant loss appears to be six statuettes of Venus from the Roman era. This Venus statue theft is particularly devastating to scholars and art enthusiasts globally.

The antique statue of Venus is more than just an artifact; it is a symbol of beauty, love, and cultural identity of the Roman era. Stolen Venus is one of the copies of the Aphrodite of Cnidus. This sculpture, created by the Greek sculptor Praxiteles in the 4th century BC, is famous for being one of the first representations of a fully nude female form in Greek art. The statue became iconic for its innovative and sensual portrayal of the goddess, influencing many subsequent works of art. The fact of the Stolen artifacts Syria underscores the vulnerability of the national treasures of the country.

The National Museum Damascus has been closed indefinitely following the incident, and Syrian law enforcement is conducting a full investigation. An inventory is currently underway to fully assess the extent of the losses, and to identify the other items of antiquity that were stolen.

Officials from the General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums of Syria have announced enhanced security measures. Unconfirmed reports also suggest the possible theft of gold bars. The Damascus museum theft comes at a particularly sensitive time, as Syria struggles to rebuild after years of devastating civil war and there is growing concern about the preservation of Syrian cultural heritage.

Founded in 1919, the National Museum Damascus has long served as a safe haven for artifacts from across the country, especially during the war years (2011-2024), when collections from dangerous regions were relocated for safekeeping museum's collection spans millennia, encompassing everything from pre-historic remnants to Islamic masterpieces.

This“Syria antiquities stolen” event highlights the ongoing threat to the nation's archaeological treasures. The theft exposes the vulnerabilities stemming from funding shortages and the thriving illegal antiquities trade. The absence of these Venus statues robs the world of critical pieces of history and underscores the urgency in protecting and preserving what remains of Syrian cultural heritage. The recovery of thesе Stolen artifacts Syria is crucial for restoring a piece of Syria's identity lost to conflict.

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