After ISIS militants seized control of Palmyra—the ancient Syrian city called the “Venice of the Sands”— last May, they immediately set out to destroy it. Bit by bit the UNESCO World Heritage site was blown apart and became the backdrop for unfathomable acts of cruelty: ISIS beheaded the site’s 82-year-old curator and staged public executions in its second-century Roman amphitheater.
The site was recaptured by Syrian forces in late March, but by then it was too late: Many of the site’s monuments had been reduced to rubble, including the Temple of Bel and the Arch of Triumph, both of which stood for nearly two millennia.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.