Music returns to ancient city of Palmyra after being reclaimed from ISIS
CULTURE has returned to the war-ravaged city of Palmyra.
After Syrian forces recaptured the city, music has returned to Palmyra's ancient amphitheatre
Syrian musicians breathed new life into the heart of a damaged Roman amphitheatre yesterday after the ancient city was recaptured from Islamic State militants.
Its troops were joined by Russian jets and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters in the assault to regain control from the jihadists of the Unesco world heritage site.
Army units were drafted in to clear the explosives and land-mines littering the area.
Syrian army advance on ISIS stronghold west of Palmyra
The city famed for its Roman ruins and archaeological treasures has changed hands three times this year.
Except for the previous destruction, the state of the theatre looks good
Last March the Syrian government seized control. But 10 months later it was back under IS rule.
IS militants had overrun Palmyra in May 2015 but Syria’s antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim said the latest video of the site had indicated there was less damage than at first feared.
Historic monuments were believed to have been destroyed but experts are optimistic the damage can be repaired.
IS destroyed many historic monuments in the city but locals are optimistic that they can be repaired
Mr Abdulkarim said: “We thought the situation would be much worse, that there would be eradication, that they (IS) would complete their crimes from the first occupation.”
He added: “Except for the previous destruction, the state of the theatre looks good. Even that destroyed section could be repaired.”
The city, which is known to Syrians as the “Bride of the Desert”, drew 105,000 visitors a year to see the Unesco site.
Before being captured by ISIS, the Unesco world heritage area attracted 100,000 tourists each year
But Palmyra’s ruins became a target for IS militants back in September 2015, when satellite images showed the scale of the demolition carried out.
The Temple of Bel was destroyed as the terror group waged destruction on pre-Islamic monuments that it had branded idolatrous.
Unesco had previously described the temple as one of the best preserved and most important of religious significance of the first century within the Middle East.