403
Sorry!!
Error! We're sorry, but the page you were looking for doesn't exist.
Palmyra blast sparks fears for key temple
(MENAFN- Arab News) BEIRUT: A powerful blast in the ruins of Syria's ancient Palmyra raised fears Monday that the Daesh group has damaged another of the Middle East's most treasured heritage sites.
Both Syria's antiquities chief and a monitor reported the Sunday blast in the UNESCO World Heritage site but there was conflicting information on the fate of its famed Temple of Bel.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights a Britain-based monitor said late Sunday that Daesh fighters had set off explosives inside the 2000-year-old Temple of Bel at least partially destroying the centerpiece of Palmyra's famed ruins.
Mohammad Hassan Al-Homsi an activist from Palmyra also reported the partial destruction on Sunday night.
'They laid the explosives today using booby-trapped boxes and barrels that were already prepared by Daesh' he said.
'This was the most important temple for tourists and for the people of Palmyra. They used to hold festivals there.'
Homsi who goes by a pseudonym said the inner part of the temple was destroyed in the blast.
But Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim said the explosion did not appear to have damaged the temple significantly.
'The frontal columns and the cella (interior) of the temple do not appear to have been damaged' Abdulkarim said on Monday.
'According to the information we received from the town the temple is still standing but antiquities staff are not able to enter the site to see close up' he said.
Before the arrival of Christianity in the second century Palmyra worshipped the Semitic god Bel along with the sun god Yarhibol and lunar god Aglibol.
Construction on the temple began in 32 BC and ended in the second century and it later served as both a church and a mosque.
Before the Syrian conflict erupted in March 2011 more than 150000 tourists visited Palmyra every year.
Both Syria's antiquities chief and a monitor reported the Sunday blast in the UNESCO World Heritage site but there was conflicting information on the fate of its famed Temple of Bel.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights a Britain-based monitor said late Sunday that Daesh fighters had set off explosives inside the 2000-year-old Temple of Bel at least partially destroying the centerpiece of Palmyra's famed ruins.
Mohammad Hassan Al-Homsi an activist from Palmyra also reported the partial destruction on Sunday night.
'They laid the explosives today using booby-trapped boxes and barrels that were already prepared by Daesh' he said.
'This was the most important temple for tourists and for the people of Palmyra. They used to hold festivals there.'
Homsi who goes by a pseudonym said the inner part of the temple was destroyed in the blast.
But Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim said the explosion did not appear to have damaged the temple significantly.
'The frontal columns and the cella (interior) of the temple do not appear to have been damaged' Abdulkarim said on Monday.
'According to the information we received from the town the temple is still standing but antiquities staff are not able to enter the site to see close up' he said.
Before the arrival of Christianity in the second century Palmyra worshipped the Semitic god Bel along with the sun god Yarhibol and lunar god Aglibol.
Construction on the temple began in 32 BC and ended in the second century and it later served as both a church and a mosque.
Before the Syrian conflict erupted in March 2011 more than 150000 tourists visited Palmyra every year.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Comments
No comment