Famous museum heists you may have never heard of

Museums are home to some of the world's most priceless treasures, but they have also been targets of audacious thieves. From stolen masterpieces worth millions to mysterious disappearances that remain unsolved, these museum heists have captivated investigators and art lovers alike. Here are six of the most notorious museum robberies in history. (unsplash)

The Green Vault Burglary (2019): Thieves broke into Green Vault in Germany and escaped with priceless 18th-century jewels. The theft shocked Europe and became one of the most significant museum robberies of modern times. (wikimedia commons)

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist (1990): The largest art theft in history took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Two men disguised as police officers entered the museum and stole 13 artworks, including pieces by Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer. The stolen works have never been recovered. (wikimedia commons)

The Mona Lisa Theft (1911): One of the world's most famous artworks, Mona Lisa, was stolen from the Louvre Museum by former employee Vincenzo Peruggia. He hid the painting in his apartment for more than two years before being caught. (wikimedia commons)

The Musée d'Art Moderne Heist (2010): Five masterpieces by artists including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse were stolen from Paris' Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. The value of the missing works was estimated at over €100 million. (wikimedia commons)

The Van Gogh Museum Robbery (2002): Armed thieves used a ladder to enter Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum and stole two paintings by Vincent van Gogh. The artworks were recovered years later during an anti-mafia operation in Italy. (youtube: knowledge network)

The National Museum of Iraq Looting (2003): Amid the chaos following the invasion of Iraq, thousands of priceless artifacts disappeared from the National Museum of Iraq. Although many pieces were later recovered, some ancient treasures remain missing to this day. (wikimedia commons)