Home
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151005-palmyra-arch-destruction-isis-syria-archaeology/
The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) has reportedly demolished another iconic element ofPalmyra, an ancient city in the heart of Syria. The so-called Arch of Triumph dated backto Roman times and formed the gateway to the city’s colonnaded ruins.
The arch is the latest ancient artifact to succumb to ISIS's ongoing war on the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria, with the group attacking many archaeological sites with bulldozers and explosives.
The damage to the arch follows a video released in August showing the fiery destruction ofthe Temple of Baalshamin, one of the best-preserved ruins at the Syrian site ofPalmyra. Another, larger Palmyrene temple, dedicated to the ancient god Bel, was also leveled using improvised explosives in August.
The destruction is part ofa propaganda campaign that includes videos ofmilitantsrampaging through Iraq's Mosul Museum with pickaxes and sledgehammers, and the dynamiting of centuries-old Christian and Muslimshrines.
ISIS controls large stretches of Syria, along with northern and western Iraq. There's little to stop its militants from plundering and destroying sites under their control in a region known as the cradle of civilization.
The militant group is just one ofmany factions fighting for control of Syria, where a civil war has left more than 230,000 dead and millions more homeless.
The group claims the destruction ofancient sites is religiously motivated; Its militants have targeted well-known ancient sites along with more modern gravesand shrinesbelonging to other Muslim sects, citing idol worship to justify their actions. At the same time, ISIS has used looting asa moneymaking venture to finance military operations.
Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of Syria’s AntiquitiesDepartment, argued that toppling the Arch ofTriumph went beyond religious fervor. "It isnow wanton destruction,” he told the Reuters news agency. “Their acts of vengeance are no longerideologically driven because they are now blowing up buildings with no religious meaning.”
“It’s both propagandistic and sincere,” says Columbia University historian Christopher Jones, who has chronicled the damage on his blog. “They see themselves as recapitulating the early history of Islam.”
The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) has reportedly demolished another iconic element ofPalmyra, an ancient city in the heart of Syria. The so-called Arch of Triumph dated backto Roman times and formed the gateway to the city’s colonnaded ruins.
The arch is the latest ancient artifact to succumb to ISIS's ongoing war on the cultural heritage of Iraq and Syria, with the group attacking many archaeological sites with bulldozers and explosives.
The damage to the arch follows a video released in August showing the fiery destruction ofthe Temple of Baalshamin, one of the best-preserved ruins at the Syrian site ofPalmyra. Another, larger Palmyrene temple, dedicated to the ancient god Bel, was also leveled using improvised explosives in August.
The destruction is part ofa propaganda campaign that includes videos ofmilitantsrampaging through Iraq's Mosul Museum with pickaxes and sledgehammers, and the dynamiting of centuries-old Christian and Muslimshrines.
ISIS controls large stretches of Syria, along with northern and western Iraq. There's little to stop its militants from plundering and destroying sites under their control in a region known as the cradle of civilization.
The militant group is just one ofmany factions fighting for control of Syria, where a civil war has left more than 230,000 dead and millions more homeless.
The group claims the destruction ofancient sites is religiously motivated; Its militants have targeted well-known ancient sites along with more modern gravesand shrinesbelonging to other Muslim sects, citing idol worship to justify their actions. At the same time, ISIS has used looting asa moneymaking venture to finance military operations.
Maamoun Abdulkarim, head of Syria’s AntiquitiesDepartment, argued that toppling the Arch ofTriumph went beyond religious fervor. "It isnow wanton destruction,” he told the Reuters news agency. “Their acts of vengeance are no longerideologically driven because they are now blowing up buildings with no religious meaning.”
“It’s both propagandistic and sincere,” says Columbia University historian Christopher Jones, who has chronicled the damage on his blog. “They see themselves as recapitulating the early history of Islam.”