Today’s release of pictures showing damage to the ancient desert city of Palmyra by the BBC from Reuters news agency are in some ways a huge relief. A relief in that the landscape of the city as a whole remains intact. It could have been far worse. However the specific monuments that were targeted as in the Temples (apparently idolatrous to IS beliefs) and the once stunning Triumphal Arch (idolatrous? really…..) have been utterly destroyed. Whilst the BBC’s intention was to provide information to the viewer I dont see how one can get a complete idea of the scale of destruction unless one has something to compare it against.
I have done that here. Please forward this to anyone you feel would be interested to see. There are links below to help.
The Temple of Bel complex. Picture was taken in May 2009. Only a doorway now remains…….
The Temple of Bel. The picture was taken in May 2009
The Temple of Bel, March 2016. Only the doorway remains standing.
The Triumphal Arch. The picture was taken in May 2009
The Triumphal Arch, March 2016. Nothing remains
These evocative funerary towers had stood for over 2000 years before ISIS dynamited all of them last year.
As was the Temple of Baalshamin, now completely destroyed
