Palmyra after Isis: images taken following Syrian recapture offer hope amid ruins

The Guardian ^ | 28 March 2016 | Guardian staff

[Freelance Warrior]

The first images to emerge from the ancient city of Palmyra after Syrian regime forces expelled Islamic State fighters have shown large swaths of destruction but also suggest that several important archaeological sites are intact.

The extremist group had destroyed some of Palmyra’s most treasured artefacts, including the Temple of Bel and the Arch of Triumph.

However, some of Palmyra’s ruins appear to have survived, including the Agora and the celebrated Roman theatre.

[Maamoun] Abdelkarim, [Syria’s antiquities chief] said a team of archaeologists would go to Palmyra in the coming days to assess the damage to its monuments, and pledged to rebuild the destroyed temples and arch.

Isis seized Palmyra in May 2015. The fall of the city gained worldwide attention as it hosts some of the most well-preserved ruins of antiquity. As well as destroying the iconic temples of Bel and Baalshamin

Temple of Baalshamin

and the Arch of Triumph

The Arch

, the group looted graves and used the amphitheatre to stage executions. The amphitheatre

Isis fighters also killed the archaeologist who had looked after the ruins for 40 years.

State TV said troops were working on clearing mines from the town and its monuments, where numerous booby traps were laid down by the militants before their retreat.

[Freelance Warrior]

All the photos are by Tass, the gallery is here, scroll down, if necessary.

[originalbuckeye]

I am appalled that any group would think they have a right to destroy any other groups historical monuments. But then I remember the Taliban destroying the Buddhas of Bamiyan (BEFORE 9/11) and I am reminded that there are groups that have no civilization at all. With these radical Islamists,there is no choice but to destroy them if we can. But we would need a leader and there are few/none on the horizon.

[arl295]

They did what Obama wanted them to do

That is why Obama never stopped them

[Netz]

Yes, now that Arabic Islamic nut jobs organized under a tyrannical state mass murderer, supported by other mass murderers like Russia, Iran and Hezbollah have ousted more extreme Muslim nut jobs out of their enclaves, we should all breath a collective sigh of relief that UNESCO can rebuild those temples.

What about the 250,000 people slaughtered during the Syrian civil war? Who cares.

What's crucial to world peace is if the Israelis built a house in the West Bank. Now THAT is a crucial world event!

[moose07]

This isn’t a Ping. :)

[mad_as_he$$]

Looks like it maybe wasn’t as bad as reported!

[chuckee]

Looks like we backed the wrong horse in Syria. The wrong horse that survived is now evicting ISIS. Obama’s (and McCain’s) “moderate” rebels have yet to kill one member of ISIS or evict them from territory.

[rdcbn]

The 250,000 killed statistic is several years old predates the rise ISIS.

It reflects the number killed when the conflict was just a civil war and civilians deaths were unfortunate collateral damage.

ISIS engages in acts of mass murder and genocide and ISIS kills for fun or just for the sake of killing

The ISIS death toll will never be known but its far in excess of 250k

[ScottinVA]

Even the Khmer Rouge didn’t destroy the Angkor Wat temples in Cambodia during their ‘75-’79 reign of terror.

Islam is the embodiment of evil.

[Freelance Warrior]

This thread is about the recently freed Palmyra. You can start some threads, if you want to discuss the topics that you’ve mentioned.

[Red Badger]

I can’t tell any difference.......................

[DesertRhino]

“I am appalled that any group would think they have a right to destroy any other groups historical monuments.”

I actually had two people -here- yesterday tell me that any site or buildings used for pagan worship in antiquity should be razed. I asked if that included the Pyramids, the Parthenon, the Sphinx, etc. They said yes, and appeared fully serious.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

This Guardian article is a perfect example of the West’s response to aggressive, savage Islamic extremism. Now that the threat has been pushed back — no thanks to the West — the West is thankful and hopeful that not all the irreplaceable historical sites were destroyed. And lamenting that some were destroyed. Its all so passive. So weak.

[SunkenCiv]

• Syrian Army Attacks Palmyra's Roman Ruins [2012]
• Palmyra after Isis: images taken following Syrian recapture offer hope amid ruins [2016]
• April 2016: The Temple Of Baal Will Be Erected In Times Square In New York City [2016]
• Happy Easter: Hundreds of ISIS terrorists wiped out as Putin helps Syria take back historical city [2016]
• Syrian army recaptures Palmyra from Islamic State: state media [2016]
• Life Among the Ruins (Temple of Baal in NYC) [2016]
• Russian military says special forces officer killed near Palmyra [2016]
• Syrian army reaches outskirts of Islamic State-held town of Palmyra [2016]
• The Syria government forces have regained control of historic area of Palmyra [2016]
• Russia jets continue strikes in Syria, Moscow says [2016]
• ISIS kills five Russian soldiers during fighting in ancient Syrian city of Palmyra [2016]
• Likud MK: Jordan, Israel can fight ISIS together [2015]
• ISIS Militants Blow up Ancient Arch of Triumph in Palmyra [2015]
• ISIS Posts Pictures of Its Destruction of a Temple in Palmyra [2015]
• Cultural Monuments in Syria, Iraq Need to be Protected from Islamists -- Lavrov [2015]
• Islamic State release pictures after 'destroying ancient temple' at Palmyra [2015]
• Islamists destroy 5th-century Mar Elian (Catholic) monastery [2015]
• US troubled by Israeli Demolitions of Illegal Palestinian Homes [Zechariah 12] [2015]
• ISIS Destroys 2 Ancient Shrines In Syria's Palmyra [2015]
• ISIS fanatics summon crowd to ancient Roman amphitheatre of Palmyra to execute 20 men [2015]
• ISIS militants 'advance towards Damascus' [2015]
• The Center Is Not Holding (From ISIS at Ramadi to riots at home, nothing is going right) [2015]
• Obama's Iraq War [2015]
• Fresh air raids launched against ISIS amid fears ISIS will slaughter rare bird [2015]
• Former UK Army Chief Calls for Ground Invasion Against ISIS [2015]
• Obama's ISIS Quickly Slaughters 400 In Palmyra, Mostly Children, Women [2015]
• Do Not Underestimate the Islamic State; White House Denies Reality [2015]
• Syrian Priest Reportedly Kidnapped as ISIS Moves Beyond Palmyra [2015]
• Opinion Journal: 'War Is Interested in You' [2015]
• New York Times Op-ed: Calm Down. ISIS Isn't Winning. [2015]
• ISIS controls 50 percent of Syria after takeover of Palmyra [Isaiah 17] [2015]
• ISIS Targets City that Inspired Washington, D.C. for Destruction [2015]
• Obama on Fall of Ramadi: "Hey, We're Winning in Shiite Areas" [2015]
• Obama: We Are Not Losing War Against ISIS -- Loss of Ramadi Just a "Setback" [2015]
• Obama: 'I Don't Think We're Losing' War Against ISIS [2015]
• ISIS controls 50 percent of Syria after takeover of Palmyra, activists say [2015]
• ISIS: A Bolshevik Precedent? [2015]
• Breaking: Historic Palmyra, Syria FALLS to ISIS [2015]
• ISIL advances on Syria's ancient city of Palmyra [2015]
• Assessing the State of the Syrian Army as ISIS Advances [2014]
• Syria's ancient oasis city of Palmyra threatened in fighting [2013]
• Early Christian church found in Syrian desert city [2008]
• GOTTA SEE THIS-War Endur.Freedom 9/30/02 Baku-Ceyhan,Jerusalem,Ramallah,Syria,Palmyra,Tehran [2002]

[DesertRhino]

“What about the 250,000 people slaughtered during the Syrian civil war? “

All in the name of Sunni Islam wanting to depose another middle east strongman who at best was a “Christmas and Easter moslem” (so to speak)

[SunkenCiv]

They’re here on FR, if that’s the here you mean. :’(

[DesertRhino]

“This thread is about the recently freed Palmyra. You can start some threads, if you want to discuss the topics that you’ve mentioned.”

Who the hell put you in charge? Should we all ask you if its ok before we post something? Try not to get too shocked when a thread about Palmyra winds up discussing the civil war in Syria.

[ActresponsiblyinVA]

Groups are now working to take down Southern monuments to the Civil War.

[DesertRhino]

And as for you, you couldn’t be more wrong. Before the war Assad isn’t a mass murderer that I ever saw. He was not at all like his dad. Life was pretty normal for Syrians until we launched another Arab spring “google think/act revolt”

And I know ill get flamed, but what happened here in Syria with ISIS was like a microcosm of the defeat of Germany. The Russians did most of the effort, and will get very little credit. Im surprised Obama hasn’t already taken credit for liberating Palmyra, after all, his grandpa in the US Army liberated Auschwitz. (nevermind that was the red army)

At least then we were secretly supplying the Wehrmacht with anti-tank missiles and MANPADS.

[AZLiberty]

Bonus: the war has created a lot more new “ruins”.