Islamists blew up the ancient temple in Palmyra

Beirut - Radical members of the Islamic State movement have destroyed the Temple of Baal-Shamin, one of the most valuable monuments from the complex of ancient ruins in the central Syrian city of Palmyra. Activists from the Syrian opposition reported this today, according to the AP agency.
    According to the Syrian human rights organization SOHR, based in London exile, the Islamists blew the temple up a month ago, while activist Usama Khateeb from Turkey stated that the temple was destroyed today. Both sources rely on testimonies from people who remained in Palmyra. According to them, the Islamists also destroyed part of the famous ancient colonnade.
    UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today described the destruction of the temple as "another war crime and a significant loss for the Syrian people and for humanity." According to Bokova, "the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions."
    "I call on the international community to remain united against this repeated plundering of culture," the UNESCO director urged in a statement. According to her, while IS kills people and destroys monuments, it "cannot erase history and will not prevent this great culture from being erased from the memory of the world." Despite all obstacles and fanaticism, human creativity will prevail, and buildings and monuments will be restored, Bokova assured.
    The temple had already been damaged in the past during clashes between government forces and the opposition. Its damage two years ago led UNESCO to include Palmyra on the list of endangered heritage sites.
    The Islamists captured Palmyra in May and subsequently mined the area where the ancient monuments are located. On Thursday, radicals murdered an eighty-one-year-old Syrian archaeologist and long-time curator of the collections of ancient Palmyra in the square in front of the museum.
    Palmyra lies on the edge of the desert, adjoining the Iraqi province of Anbar to the east, which is under IS control. Its advantageous position has historically been used by caravans with goods. Buildings over 2000 years old, including the remains of ancient temples, a triumphal arch, a colonnade with hundreds of columns, and an amphitheater, are located in the southwest of the city.
    On Friday, IS members destroyed the Christian monastery of Mar Elian in the town of Qaryatayn in the Homs province with the help of bulldozers; it was founded more than 1500 years ago. "I believe we are concerned about nearly all monuments in Syria. Nothing is safe," Bokova told the AP in response. According to her, the Islamic State views culture and historical heritage in exactly the opposite way to her organization.
    The Islamists also heavily plundered Mari, an ancient Sumerian city in Syria. Recently, they have also been destroying monuments in the northern Iraqi cities of Mosul and Nimrud.