Over the weekend, Palmyra, the “city of palm trees,” was recaptured by the Syrian government from ISIS control.The historic city bears the scars of ISIS’s occupation.

Palmyra has a rich history that goes back to the beginning of modern civilization, when it was established as a trading route between the western Mediterranean Sea and the eastern portion of the Euphrates River.  A powerhouse during the Roman empire, the ruins available to tourists before the conflict rivaled any found in Italy or Turkey (another place that has incredible Roman ruins).

The loss of these sites was considered a foregone conclusion when ISIS took over the city. A loss of history that was a blow to all humanity. 

It seems the city may be in better condition that was feared. It will take time to sort through the impact of ISIS control, in the meantime it's important to understand why the site is so important even while thousands and thousands die in the broader conflict.

Brief history of Palmyra:

This once prosperous, ancient trade city has long been important and competed over by various rulers and empires. Its geographic location, a pathway to Damascus and the Euphrates, made it one of the Roman Empire’s key trading locations. It had been under Roman control and then under the Muslim Caliph rule until its trade system declined in the late 600s ADE.

Image: Ulrich Waack

Image: Bernard Gagnon

Image: Xvlun

The city contained a Senate house, a theatre and numerous religious structures and tombs that reflect each of the ruling cultures who controlled Palmyra. There were Christian churches, buildings decorated with Greek goddess, temples dedicated to Bel, Yarhibol and Aglobo and tombs adorned with Roman and Persian art. In 1980, UNESCO declared Palmyra a World Heritage site.

Image: Jerzy Strzelecki

Image: Mappo

Image: Bernard Gagnon

ISIS overtakes Palmyra:

In May 2015, Palmyra was taken over by ISIS, which went on to destroy some of the city’s historical sites. This is similar to what the Taliban did in Afghanistan in 2001, when they destroyed the Buddhas in the Bamiyan Valley in the Hindu Kush mountains. 

Image: Marco Bonavoglia

Image: DVIDSHUB

Initially, ISIS stated it would not destroy this World Heritage site. When ISIS took Palmyra in May 27th 2015, they published a quick 87- second video of the ancient city, untouched.

The city’s preservation was short-lived. June 27th 2015 marked the beginning of extremist group’s cultural carnage’ with the destruction of the Lion of Al-lāt statue in Palmyra. The destruction of the city has gone through several phases under ISIS’s ruling, the final being in October when the terror group destroryed the Arc of Triumph. 

The destruction leaked out to the wider world in a series of major events. 

June-July 2015: statues are beheaded, the seen ancient towers of Palmyra begin to be demolished.

August 2015:  ISIS leveled the 2,000 –year- old temples of Bel and Baalshamin

September 2015: ISIS bombs seven ancient towers, one being the Tower of Elahbel, one of Plamyra’s most distinctive monuments.

October 2015: The Arc of Triumph, a structure known for its “beautiful geometrical and plant ornaments” is blown up.  

UNESCO stated that the destruction of Palmyra, in addition to the countless other historical sites destroyed by the Islamic state, are war crimes.  ISIS scoffed at UNESCO and the world’s condemnation of their acts by publishing photos of the destruction.

In all, over 20 major monuments throughout Syria, Libya and Iraq have been destroyed by ISIS. 

Killing heritage:

ISIS desecration of historical sites like Palmyra, show how war can rewrite the history of a nation. ISIS pummeled Syria to its core, and was purposeful in their destruction- even decapitating Palmyra’s chief historian Khaled al-Assad in a public venue.

The destruction of history allows a new power to claim their own "long-standing" supremacy with no evidence left to counter them. The destruction allows distortion and lies to rule education, eventually retraining a population to the destroyers propoganda. This process makes dislodging extremists from society even harder.

Preserving what has been lost:

While the world bowed its head to mourn for the destruction of Palmyra, some Syrian refugees tried to preserve this site’s cultural memory through models. In the Za’atari refugee camp, for example, artists built models of the city’s ancient landmarks using kebab skewers and clay.  Here, history is restored in miniature versions.  Mahmoud, one of the artists from Dara’a, has been working on these models at a community center run by UNHCR and the International Relief and Development. 

He summarizes what he and other artists are doing.

“This is a way for them not to forget. As artists, we have an important role to play. A lot of what we know about ancient civilizations or prehistoric people is preserved through their art – Egyptian hieroglyphs or cave paintings.” – Mahmoud (artist from Dara's in  Za’atari Refugee Camp) 

ISIS has not been able to erase are the memories of those who have been uprooted by the destruction. The sad reality is the destruction means the children born in conflict, many in refugee camps outside of Syria, will never be able to behold what Syria once looked like. A loss that will be felt by generations - not equivalent to the hundreds of thousands killed but still tragic. 

Hopefully, in time, models, restoration projects and the stories of past generations will restore the broken country and connect to its proud history. War can erase physical history, but it cannot erase a people’s historical memory. 

TopicsCitizenshipISISSyrian RefugeessyriaSyrian WarUNESCOExploreWorld Heritage Site

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ISIS pushed out of Palmyra, a win for the preservation of culture

By Katherine Curtiss