UN Confirms Palmyra Temple Destroyed

The United Nations says a satellite image confirms that the main temple in the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria has been destroyed by Islamic State (ISIS) militants.

The UN Training and Research Agency released satellite images and analysis that confirmed that the Temple of Bel, which for nearly 2,000 years had been the center of religious life in Palmyra, Syria, was no longer standing, despite conflicting reports earlier in the day that it was not fully demolished.

But UNOSAT Manager, Einar Bjorgo, said he could “confirm destruction of the main building of the Temple of Bel as well as a row of columns in its immediate vicinity”.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) considered the Temple of Bel, the great sanctuary of the Palmyrene gods which is one of the most important religious buildings of the 1st Century AD in the East.

The Head of the Syrian Department of Antiquities and Museums, Maamoun Abdul Karim, said its destruction was a “catastrophe”.

“I feel very sad and I am very pessimistic  for the future of Palmyra.

“I am sure we will have more bad images [in the future] because these people are ignorant. “They don’t respect any image, any identity of the people”, he said.

ISIS has become known not only for its brutal executions but also for its hatred of antiquities and its wanton destruction of them.