A Look At What Remains Of The Ancient Syrian City Of Palmyra After Years Of War

An image distributed by Islamic State militants on social media on August 25, 2015 purports to show the destruction of a Roman-era temple in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. REUTERS/Social Media/Files

Daily Mail: Pictured: What remains of the once-magnificent ancient city of Palmyra after six years of war in Syria and a campaign of destruction by ISIS

Palmyra, situated about 130 miles northeast of Damascus, is known by Syrians as the 'Bride of the Desert'.

It was an important caravan city of the Roman Empire, linking it to India, China, and Persia.

Before the outbreak of Syria's conflict in March 2011, the UNESCO site was one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Middle East and attracted over 100,000 visitors a year.

Global concern for Palmyra's magnificent ancient ruins spiked in September 2015, when satellite images confirmed that ISIS - which took control of the city - had demolished the famed Temple of Bel as part of its campaign to destroy pre-Islamic monuments it considers idolatrous.

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WNU Editor: A depressing read.

Syria's 'Monument Men' Are Working To Save Its History

CBS: Syria's "monument men" save thousands of historic artifacts

DAMASCUS, Syria -- In five years of Syrian civil war, 320,000 have been killed. But another cost has been the lost of irreplaceable history, the inheritance of all humanity. Inside Syria, we met the heroes in that fight.

The music filled the ancient Roman amphitheater, that only three months ago was under ISIS control.

It -- like most of the ruins -- only survived that occupation by luck.

But a trove of Palmyra's smaller treasures were saved by dedicated archaeologists -- Syria's very own Monument men and women, led by Chief of Antiquities Maamoun Abdulkarim.

His mission is to protect Syria's heritage from all sides in the civil war.

We met him among the empty display cases of the Damascus Archaeological Museum.

Right at the start of the fighting, Abdulkarim emptied and closed all of Syria's antiquities museums.

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WNU Editor: Maamoun Abdulkarim did the right thing to close the museums when the war erupted .... unlike what happened in Iraq during the 2003 invasion.

All Of Syria's UNESCO Heritage Sites Have Been Damaged Or Destroyed

RT: 6 out of 6: ALL of Syria's UNESCO Heritage Sites damaged or destroyed during civil war

The destruction of the ancient city of Palmyra has made a real impact, but in fact each and every ancient site in Syria inscribed on the World Heritage List has suffered during the five years of conflict. RT looks back at unique landmarks shattered by military action.

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WNU Editor: A thousand years from now people will look back at this time and call this destruction of history in the Middle East as the "dark ages".

Iraq's Oldest Catholic Monastery Has Been Utterly Destroyed By The Islamic State

Daily Mail/AP: Iraq's oldest Christian monastery that has stood for 1,400 years is destroyed in seconds: Satellite image reveals how ISIS reduced sacred site to rubble

* Dair Mar Elia, known as St. Elijah's Monastery in English, has been completely levelled by ISIS
* The monastery, located south of Mosul, northern Iraq, was built in the 600s, making it 1,400 years old
* It was Iraq's oldest Christian monastery and had recently functioned as a place of worship for U.S. troops

The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq, which had survived for more than 1,400 years, has been reduced to a field of rubble by ISIS fighters, satellite images confirm.

St. Elijah's Monastery, south of Mosul, northern Iraq, has been completely wiped out by the Islamist terrorist, joining a list of dozens of historical and religious sites purposely destroyed by the group.

Experts believe ISIS fighters would have used every measure available to destroy the monastery, which had most recently served as a place of worship for U.S. troops, including bulldozers, sledgehammers and possibly explosives.

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More News On Reports That Iraq's Oldest Catholic Monastery Has Been Destroyed By The Islamic State

Isis 'to eliminate Christianity from Iraq': 1,400-year-old St Elijah's Monastery of Mosul flattened -- IBTimes
ISIS destroys Iraq's oldest Christian monastery, satellite photos confirm -- FOX News/AP
ISIS destroys 1,400-year-old Mosul monastery -- RUDAW

The Looting Of Syria's Antiquities Continues

Back-to-back graphs, showing where groups are in control in Syria and the areas that have had severe looting.

Wired: Islamic State isn't the only group raiding Syria's ancient ruins

Looting of archaeological sites in Syria is more widespread than previously thought and not just the work of Islamic State. Isis is responsible for just a quarter of all lootings, with raids taking place in territory held by the Syrian government and other groups, new research has shown.

The study, by archaeologists from Dartmouth College, found that looting of Syrian archaeological sites had increased since the start of the civil war in 2012. Evidence of heavy looting has now been found in territories held by the Syrian government, Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG) and opposition forces -- as well as the Islamic State.

The team concluded that less than a quarter of looting from historic Syrian sites was the work of Isis.

WNU Editor: The full report is here .... Satellite Imagery-Based Analysis of Archaeological Looting in Syria

More News News On The Looting Of Antiquities In Syria

IS not alone in looting Syria cultural heritage: study -- AFP
The Islamic State Isn't the Only Group Looting Syrian Archaeological Sites -- NDTV/Washington Post
Study: Islamic State not only group looting antiquities in Syria -- UPI
Satellite images show Daesh isn’t the only one looting Syria's archaeological sites -- Al Bawaba
Study shows ISIS is not the only culprit in war-related looting in Syria -- Phys.org

These Are The World Heritage Sites In Syria And Iraq That Are In Danger Of Being Destroyed

Washington Post: Map: There are 10 world heritage sites in Iraq and Syria. Nine are in danger

Satellite imagery released by the United Nations on Monday has confirmed that the Islamic State destroyed one of the most important ruins in the ancient city of Palmyra over the weekend.

The destruction of the 1st-century Temple of Bel appears to be part of a broader campaign by the group against not just Palmyra but a variety of ancient sites -- a campaign that appears to be motivated by both ideology and greed. Worse still, the Islamic State is only one part of a wider situation in Syria and Iraq where a number of important historical areas are considered at risk.

The situation is stark. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) lists 10 world heritage sites in Syria and Iraq. Of those 10, it says nine are currently in danger – and not just because of Islamic State vandalism.

WNU Editor: As I have said more than once in this blog .... a thousand years from now our descendent will look back at this period of time and wonder why we permitted this destruction.

Islamic State Militants Have Destroyed The Ancient Temple Of Bel Mira in Palmyra

WSJ: U.N. Condemns Destruction of Ancient Palmyra Temple

Satellite photographs show 2,000-year-old temple completely demolished by Islamic State fighters

BEIRUT—The United Nations on Tuesday condemned the destruction of the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, a monument it called one of most important in the Middle East.

Initial reports indicated Islamic State fighters had partially destroyed the temple on Sunday using explosives. But late Monday, the U.N. Institute for Training and Research said the temple’s inner sanctuary and nearby columns had been entirely demolished.

“We can confirm destruction of the main building of the Temple of Bel as well as a row of columns in its immediate vicinity,” the institute said, citing satellite photographs.

More News On The Islamic State Destroying The Ancient Temple Of Bel Mira in Pamlyrm

Satellite Images Show ISIS Destruction of Ancient Temple -- ABC News
IS militants destroy ancient Temple of Bel -- USA Today
UNESCO Chief: IS Destruction of Syrian Temple 'Intolerable' -- AP
How ISIS' demolition of a Syrian temple impacts the world -- Holly Yan, CNN
The fate of the temple of Bel is a symbol of the tragedy engulfing Syria -- Tom Holland, The Guardian
Photos: The 2,000-year-old temple you will never get to see because ISIL apparently blew it up -- Quartz
Why ISIS blew up Syria's iconic Bel temple -- Dominique Soguel, CSM

Islamic State Releases Images On The Destruction Of Ancient Palmyra Temple

Daily Mail: The moment two thousand years of history were blown to smithereens: Now ISIS pledges to turn even more of ancient Palmyra into rubble

* ISIS thugs used dynamite to destroy the ancient temple of Baalshamin
* The beautifully preserved temple had been there for nearly 2,000 years
* Images show militants laying out rows of explosives and detonating them
* Plume of smoke rises from ancient wonder and rubble is then pictured

The first shocking images have been released of ISIS blowing up an ancient temple in the Syrian archaeological treasure of Palmyra.

The Baalshamin temple had stood at the site for nearly 2,000 years and was considered one of the best preserved temple on the site.

Images showed the militants laying out rows of explosives before detonating them, with a plume of smoke rising from the ancient wonder before the rubble left behind is shown.

WNU Editor: The outrage continues.

More News On The Islamic State Releasing Images On The Destruction Of Ancient Palmyra Temple

Islamic State photos 'show Palmyra temple destruction' -- BBC
Islamic State shows images of ancient Syrian temple destruction -- Reuters
ISIS gloats online over destruction of ancient temple -- CBS/AP
ISIS reported to have blown up ancient temple in Palmyra -- CNN
Islamic State releases images said to show destruction of Palmyra temple -- The Guardian
Islamic State release pictures after 'destroying ancient temple' at Palmyra -- The Telegraph
Islamic State accelerates destruction of antiquities in Syria -- Irish Times

Islamic State Blows-Up Ancient Temple Of Baal Shamin In Palmyra

New York Times: ISIS Blows Up Ancient Temple at Syria’s Palmyra Ruins

Militants from the Islamic State set off explosions at a temple in the ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria, activists and government officials said on Sunday, continuing a pattern of destruction that they have visited upon historical sites across the territory they control there and in Iraq.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an activist and monitoring group based in Britain, said Sunday in a statement that Islamic State fighters detonated “a large quantity of explosives” that they had arranged around the Temple of Baalshamin, one of the most grand and well-preserved structures in the sprawling complex of ruins. A government official told reporters that it was heavily damaged by the blast.

WNU Editor: This temple has ben standing in the same spot for 2,000 years .... and now it is gone. The barbarians are not at the gates, they have passed the gates.

More News On The Islamic State Blowing-Up Ancient Temple Of Baal Shamin In Palmyra

Activists: Islamic State destroys temple at Syria's Palmyra -- AP
Palmyra's Baalshamin temple 'blown up by IS' -- BBC
Destruction of Palmyra's Baalshamin temple 'a war crime' -- BBC
Palmyra: destruction of ancient temple is a war crime, says Unesco chief -- The Guardian
Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova firmly condemns the destruction of Palmyra's ancient temple of Baalshamin, Syria -- UNESCO
ISIS Levels 2,000-Year-Old Syrian Temple in Seconds -- ABC News
ISIS blows up ancient Baalshamin temple in Syria -- Mashable

Islamic State Continue To Destroy Christian Sites In Syria

Wall Street Journal: Islamic State Destroys Assyrian Christian Monastery in Syria

Latest casualty in militant group’s campaign against idolatry

BEIRUT—Islamic State destroyed an ancient Assyrian Christian monastery in the strategic Syrian town of Qaryatain, an Assyrian news agency and a monitoring group said Friday, the latest in a string of attacks on individuals and historic sites the militant group considers offensive to Islam.

Islamic State’s media office distributed photos depicting the bulldozing of the site on social media platforms.

The razing of the monastery closely follows the beheading by Islamic State earlier this week of Syria’s most prominent antiquities scholar, Khalid Asaad, in the ancient city of Palmyra, a Unesco World Heritage site.

More News On The Islamic State Continuing Their Destruction Of Christian Sites In Syria

ISIS demolishes ancient monastery in central Syria with bulldozers -- FOX News/AP
Islamic State in Syria demolishes ancient Mar Elian monastery -- BBC
Islamic State has destroyed Syrian monastery, says monitor -- Irish Times
IS Militants Destroy Christian Monastery in Syria -- VOA

Islamic State Continues Their Destruction Of Historical Artifacts

The Lion of al-Lat in Palmyra, Syria, was destroyed by Islamic State militants, Syria's director of antiquities said. File photo by Mappo/Wikimedia

BBC: Islamic State militants 'destroy Palmyra statues'

The Islamic State group has published photographs of militants destroying what it says are artefacts looted from the ancient ruins of Palmyra in Syria.

Six statues are shown being hit with sledgehammers while a crowd looks on.

The jihadist group said the statues had been seized from a smuggler, who was pictured being whipped as a punishment.

Meanwhile, the UN's cultural agency has said antiquities plundered by IS from sites in Iraq and Syria have ended up with collectors in the UK.

Syria's antiquities director Maamoun Abdelkarim said on Thursday the IS group had destroyed a 2,000-year-old statue of a lion from the Palmyra ruins.

Mr Abdelkarim called the destruction of the three-metre (10ft) statue, known as the Lion of al-Lat, "the most serious crime [IS has] committed against Palmyra's heritage."

More News On The Islamic State Continuing Their Destruction of Historical Artifacts

Islamic State destroys priceless statues in ancient city of Palmyra -- Washington Post
Islamic State militants destroy Palmyra artifacts -- UPI
Isis: Islamic State militants publicly destroy smuggled Palmyran statues -- IBtimes
Islamic State takes sledgehammer to 'irreplaceable' ancient Palmyra ruins -- The Telegraph
Islamic State Militants Destroy Palmyra Statues -- Radio Free Europe
Isis: Islamic State militants publicly destroy smuggled Palmyran statues -- Times of Israel
ISIS Has Taken 'Cultural Cleansing' In Syria And Iraq To 'Unprecedented Levels': UN -- IBTimes

UNESCO Admits That They Cannot Keep Track Of The Destruction Of Antiquities By The Islamic State

Emily Feldman, Vocativ: Even UNESCO Can’t Keep Track Of ISIS’ Destruction of Antiquities

With limited access to war-torn parts of Iraq and Syria, experts are struggling to assess the damage

Rumors began circulating over the weekend that ISIS had planted bombs at the ancient ruins of Palmyra, preparing to blow up the latest world heritage site to fall into the extremists’ hands.

The chatter started on Facebook, where an anonymous user posted images of three red-capped bottles on a page dedicated to Palmyra’s “antique treasures.” The post claimed the bottles were explosives ISIS would use to destroy the Temple of Bel, which has stood in the ancient city since the 1st Century.

Such is the challenge with confirming events inside a warzone that is off limits to experts the world relies on to verify information. Without access to much of Syria and chunks of Iraq, international experts and observers have been relying extensively on second-hand information for a sense of what’s happening on the ground.

WNU Editor: They cannot keep track because the destruction is widespread and unending. If it is any comfort .... future generations in the Middle East are going to curse the Islamic State for what they are doing now.

Islamic State Claims That The Destruction Of The Ancient City Of Palmyra Has Begun

Daily Mail: ISIS begin the destruction of Palmyra: Islamic extremists blow up two mausoleums in the ancient Syrian city... including one belonging to a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed

* Jihadis reportedly used explosives to destroy ancient religious tombs
* Resting place of a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed was blown up
* Tomb of local religious figure Nizar Abu Bahaaeddine was also destroyed
* ISIS barbarians captured the ancient city in central Syria city on May 21
* Capture sparked fears the jihadis would lay waste to its Greco-Roman ruins

Barbarians fighting for the Islamic State in Syria have destroyed two mausoleums in the ancient city of Palmyra, the country's antiquities director confirmed today.

ISIS captured the central Syrian city on May 21, sparking immediate fears that they would take sledgehammers to its well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins as they have done at other historic sites.

Those fears are now beginning to be realised, with the extremists reportedly using explosives to destroy ancient Islamic and pre-Islamic sites in the city - including the tombs of descendants of the Prophet Mohammed - which the terror group claim serve only to distract from the worship of Allah.

More News On Reports That The Islamic State Has Begun The Destruction Of The Ancient City Of Palmyra

Islamic State destroys ancient shrines in Syria's Palmyra city -- Reuters
Islamic State Group Blows up 2 Mausoleums in Syria's Palmyra -- AP
Islamic State Destroys Two Mausoleums in Palmyra -- WSJ
Isis destroys Palmyra shrines in Syria -- The Guardian
ISIS In Palmyra: Militants Begin Destruction Of Ancient City, Two Shrines Blown Up -- IBTimes
Syria: ISIS destroys ancient Muslim shrines in Palmyra -- CNN
ISIL claims destruction of Palmyra has begun -- Euronews
Isis destroys Palmyra shrine as group vows to 'remove polytheism' -- Newsweek
ISIL Militants Destroy Two Muslim Holy Sites in Palmyra -- Sputnik
The ruins of Palmyra -- CNN