The life-sized monument of the Palmyra arch will be placed in Trafalgar Square as a symbol of defiance against terrorism, the Daily Mail reported.
Specialists at the Institute of Digital Archaeology (IDA), prepared a 3D model of the entrance arch composed of dozens of two dimensional pictures. The replica won’t be a precise copy, the new gateway will be crafted with the use of stone powder and a lightweight composite.
Roger Michel, the IDA’s executive director said the move is a “political statement” aimed at attracting public attention to ongoing atrocities committed by religious extremists in Iraq and Syria.
"We are saying to them ‘if you destroy something we can rebuild it again.’ The symbolic value of these sites is enormous. We are restoring dignity to people.”
An identical monument may also be constructed in Times Square, New York, according to sources.
Over centuries the Temple of Bel has served as a pagan temple, a Christian church and a mosque. Before the building was blown up, it was considered to be one of the best-preserved ancient monuments in the world.
UNESCO named the entire city of Palmyra a world heritage site in 1980.
