Islamic State Blows Up Another Historical Monument in Palmyra

The head of the Syrian Antiquities Organization has stated that the Islamic State group, ISIS, has destroyed another historical monument known as the "Arch of Triumph" in the ancient city of Palmyra (Tadmur). Mamoun Abdulkarim, the head of the Syrian Antiquities Organization, told Reuters on Sunday, October 12, that informed sources in Palmyra have confirmed that the historical monument "Arch of Triumph" (Arch of Victory) was destroyed by the Islamic State group. Previously, the Islamic State had blown up two historical temples in the ancient site of Palmyra. The "Baal Temple," which was considered the largest ancient temple in the Middle East, and the ancient "Baal Shamin" temple were the two temples destroyed by this extremist group. UNESCO described the destruction of these temples as a "war crime" aimed at eliminating symbols and cultural artifacts of Syria. Government forces lost control of this area in late May of this year. Since the Islamic State's takeover of this ancient region, reports of the destruction and looting of these historical sites have emerged. Mamoun Abdulkarim stated: If this area remains under the control of this group, all the ancient artifacts in this area will be destroyed. The head of the Syrian Antiquities Organization added: "Now they are only destroying. These vengeful actions no longer have ideological (or religious) reasons as they are now destroying structures that have no connection to religion at all." According to Reuters, UNESCO considers the ancient site of Palmyra to be one of the most important cultural heritage sites in the world and refers to it as a manifestation of several civilizations. The archaeological sites of Palmyra date back to ancient Roman times, over two thousand years ago.