Palmyra: Destruction Of Ancient Temple Is A War Crime, Says Unesco chief

Source: Guardian UK

After Isis destroys the temple of Baal Shamin, head of UN’s cultural agency describes ‘immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity’

Kareem Shaheen in Beirut
Monday 24 August 2015 11.49 EDT

The chief of the UN’s cultural agency on Monday described Islamic State’s destruction of a Roman temple in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra as a “war crime”.

The strong language comes a day after Isis was said to have destroyed the temple of Baal Shamin in Palmyra, which was begun in 17AD and was expanded under the reign of the emperor Hadrian in 130AD.

Irina Bokova, the Unesco chief, said in a statement: “This destruction is a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity. Daesh (Isis) is killing people and destroying sites, but cannot silence history and will ultimately fail to erase this great culture from the memory of the world.”

The group last week murdered Khaled al-Asaad, 82, the keeper of the historic city of Palmyra. Its latest destruction raises the question of what will become of the ancient oasis city, one of the best-preserved classical sites, in a region beset by civil wars and conflict.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/24/palmyra-destruction-ancient-temple-baal-shamin-war-crime-un-isis