War takes a devastating toll on all involved. Not only does it emotionally – and oftentimes physically – wound those forced to fight for survival, it obliterates entire homes, places of worship, and historical monuments.
Because the wounds of war extend beyond just the physical, photographer Joseph Eid, who works for AFP news agency, captured photos of the world’s most treasured historical sites in Syria after they were destroyed by Islamic forces. Two years ago, Eid traveled to the city of Palmyra, before it was turned to rubble in an anti-iconoclastic purge. Now that it has been reclaimed by Syrian forces backed by Russian airstrikes, he returned to document the destruction in a series of before-and-after photos.
Syria’s antiquities director, Mamoun Abdulkarim, told the Times of Israel:
“Of course the Temple of Bel will never be the same. According to our experts, we will definitely be able to restore a third of the destroyed cella, or maybe even more if we carry out additional studies with UNESCO’s help…I invite archaeologists and experts everywhere to come work with us because this site is part of the heritage of all humanity.”
Some of the devastating photos of Eid’s trip follow:
Temple Of Bel
The Arc du Triomphe (Triumph’s Arch)
The Temple of Bel dated back to 32 AD
Security officials at the same site
The Temple of Baal Shamin, once visible through these two columns
The remains of Temple of Bel’s “Cella”
Ruins of a statue in the Palmyra museum
Picture taken in the Palmyra museum showing defaced sculptures
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