Goodbye Palmyra

[LONDONER]

Islamic State are continuing their destruction of this UNESCO World Heritage site:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/blows-ancient-...ml#Msfdy2W

Not only destroying the site but also murdering the 81 year old archaeologist who was in charge.

I believe that this is the temple in question taken when I was in Syria in 2002.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/36431370@N03/20785290406/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/36431370@N03/20802403382/

[Emiliano]

It seems like I have to log in to a yahoo account to see your pictures.

But I was reading about this... its very troubling whats going on. Of course to the people involved and the stability of the region in general. But also to the cultural history of humanity. A lot of sadness in the world.

[East]

Even more than the slaughter of the people...taking down these historical artifacts is harder for me to process...impossible really....what the fuck are they getting from doing this?

[Emiliano]

Even more than the slaughter of the people...taking down these historical artifacts is harder for me to process...impossible really....what the fuck are they getting from doing this?

Yeah... It really is an attack against humanity. The story of the archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad who was killed for refusing to give information about some of the artifacts... I found his courage and dedication to the objects and history he worked so hard to protect very powerful.

Its crazy to think of the history of art and architecture being destroyed in wars and in the name of religion. And to go after something so ancient, something with so much to teach.. I mean we know a lot of the stories of art in the past that has been destroyed, stolen, and defaced. But its sobering to think about the things that were lost that we as modern people never knew about. What great things might have the people before us created that we will never know about?

It makes me think of a quote from Monuments Men:

"You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow they'll still find their way back. But if you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements and it's as if they never existed."

[LONDONER]

It seems like I have to log in to a yahoo account to see your pictures.

But I was reading about this... its very troubling whats going on. Of course to the people involved and the stability of the region in general. But also to the cultural history of humanity. A lot of sadness in the world.

Sorry Emiliano. I used my Flickr account because the pics would be larger and in higher definition. Here they are again:

[LONDONER]

Here's some more news I just picked up:

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/wants-world-se...ml#ub4CIZP