Islamic State takes over ancient Syrian cultural site
(The Christian Science Monitor) As militants from the self-described Islamic State extend and tighten their grip on growing portions of Iraq and Syria, they’re targeting not only cities, villages, and the forces opposing them, but historical and cultural treasures dating back to King Solomon, ancient Persia, and Greco-Roman times.
On Thursday, that included the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, where government forces were sent back toward Damascus and yet more Syrian refugees were forced to flee. Beyond the human tragedy is the potential for destruction in what UNESCO calls “one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world … testament to the unique aesthetic achievement of a wealthy caravan oasis.”
“I am deeply concerned by the situation at the site of Palmyra,” Irina Bokova, director-general of UNESCO, said in a statement. “The fighting is putting at risk one of the most significant sites in the Middle East, and its civilian population.”
