The famous view of Palmyra has been turned into a desert. In between the piles of stones the ancient monuments are barely discernable. Only a few columns remain standing. It is impossible to shoot with a camera openly but militants are not visible in the pictures.
Daesh broke into Palmyra in May 2015. By then, scientists had managed to evacuate hundreds of historical artifacts everything that could be taken out physically.
The militants were convinced that there was treasure hidden in Palmyra. In order to find it, they tortured the caretaker of the old city.
“They believed there was gold treasure in Palmyra, they wanted the gold. They demanded to know where the gold treasure had been hidden.”
The Temple of Baal Shamin had stood in Palmyra for over two thousand years. It was recently blown up by Daesh. “It’s so tragic, you could cry. The Temple of Baal Shamin stood there. Only a few of the temple’s columns remain. It has been almost completely destroyed,” Museum Director, Khalil Hariri told the journalists, Expressen TV reported.
The Arch of Triumph which is the symbol of Palmyra has also been completely blown to pieces. “When you think of Palmyra, the first thing you picture is the Arch of Triumph. I feel very sad. It makes me want to cry. There are no words,” Hariri said.
He further spoke about the Valley of the Tombs. The towers present there have been completely destroyed now. The towers were twenty-five meters high and richly decorated with inscriptions, paintings and statues. There were also hundreds of sarcophagi.
“People of Palmyra cared even more for the graves than for their own homes.”
The destruction of Palmyra is a great loss of both culture and knowledge.
An expert on the topic, Tarek-al-Asaad said that Daesh have a main reason for destroying all of the surrounding area. “Their main targets were the ancient city and the museum’s treasures. They wanted the gold; they believed there was gold in Palmyra.”
