While residents in the historic city of Palmyra reported a massive explosion in its ancient ruins, the temple of Bel – one of Syria’s most prized treasures – remains standing, the country’s antiquities chief has said.
“The temple structure is on a raised terrace that can be seen from afar, and our information is that the temple is still there,” said Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syria’s director of antiquities, in a telephone interview from Damascus.
Earlier this month, Islamic State destroyed the temple of Baal Shamin, a second-century structure dedicated to the ancient sky god. The group also beheaded Khaled al-Asaad, (82), the elderly keeper of antiquities in Palmyra.
The city is one of the best preserved sites of antiquity and a Silk Road hub that was conquered by Isis in May, after the militant group routed forces loyal to the regime of president Bashar al-Assad.
Abdulkarim said the extent of damage in the compound cannot be assessed until images of it is released by Isis, which holds the town. “This is something different from Baal Shamin,” Abdulkarim said.
The Isis brand of puritanical Islam sees the preservation of such artefacts of ancient culture as a form of idolatry, and has destroyed numerous antiquities and sites in Iraq and Syria.
The temple of Bel is one of the most important sites in antiquity, and a crucial landmark of Palmyra. It was once the centre of religious life in the city, and combines elements of classical Greco-Roman and middle eastern architecture.
“This temple is the most important one in Syria because of its size, its level of preservation, its architecture and inscriptions,” said Abdulkarim. “It represents along with the temple of Baalbek (in Lebanon) two of the greatest structures of antiquity in the near east.”
He said that if Isis had intended to destroy the building, the group could have done so with explosives close to it, given the age of the temple.
The temple complex is surrounded by walls and includes a dining hall that was also used as a guest house. The temple itself includes an ancient cella (inner chamber) with two inner sanctums, dedicated to the Palmyrians’ supreme deity, Bel, and the sun and moon gods. It was converted into a church and later into a mosque that was in use until 1930.
While the temple appears to be intact from a distance, the extent of the damage as a result of the latest explosion is unknown, and will likely only be confirmed if and when Isis releases images documenting its actions. The group has revelled in its destruction of antiquities, releasing high-resolution imagery and videos of the carnage.
Earlier on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group with wide contacts inside Syria, said the temple of Bel had been damaged.
The Associated Press, citing a city resident, said a blast on Sunday afternoon had severely damaged the temple.
(Guardian News and Media 2015)