Watch: What Palmyra looked like in the 1800s, and how the Islamic State is destroying it

Washington Post ^ | August 25 at 12:40 PM | Ishaan Tharoor

[BenLurkin]

Before the 20th century, the ruins of Palmyra, once a key crossroads of classical civilizations, existed on the dusty margins of the Ottoman Empire. European travelers, though, took a special interest in the city.

The images sequenced above — photographs by the 19th-century French photographer Félix Bonfils and drawings by the 18th-century British traveler Robert Wood — were formative documents in the Western imagination and inspired the architecture of the industrial age's emerging powers.

Wood's rendering of an ancient Roman eagle seen in Palmyra, for example, would later become the model for the Seal of the United States.

The archaeological complex has endured the rise and fall of myriad kingdoms, and the invasions of a succession of conquering empires. But it may face its greatest danger now.

[BenLurkin]

videos at link

[BenLurkin]

ping

[Pearls Before Swine]

It’s a damn shame.

Ironic, too, in that Allah the moon-god probably has some roots in Baal worship, and it was the Temple of Baal-shamin that was destroyed.

[glasseye]

Animals.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

These murderers are the common enemy of mankind. They destroy human life and cultural treasurers and they were released on the world by the clown in the White House placed there by a degenerate people.

[Sasparilla]

Transporting the Mideast through savagery to 700 AD.
And, so called “moderate” Muslims are as quiet as a plate of pork fritters.

[ScottinVA]

Perhaps if the Obama cabal hadn’t sided and abetted the weakening of the existing regime in Syria when the jihadis started warring against it, those buildings and many thousands of lives wouldn’t have been destroyed.

[Sir Napsalot]

Shouldn’t WaPo concern itself more with the Christians and minorities being slaughtered by the IS?

I am not belittle World heritage and such. We have the documentaries to show what it used to be like. But who’s documenting the mass killing?

[Tucker39]

Transporting the Mid East thrugh savagery BACK to 700 A.D., if you will permit me.

[tet68]

Wow, that picture of a child sleeping on a big block,
sure did look like representations of pineapples.

Did they have pineapples then???

[Teacher317]

Islam is the enemy of History

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin.

• ISIS blows up ancient temple in Syria's Palmyra
• Islamic State Blows Up Ancient Temple at Syria's Palmyra Ruins
• Activists say Islamic State destroyed temple at Syria's Palmyra
• Awful: ISIS Beheads Archaeologist Preserving Middle East History, Hangs His Body
• ISIS beheads Palmyra antiquities expert in the ancient city where he had worked for 50 years -
• New ISIS Videos Show Child Jihadis Massacring Syrian Soldiers at Palmyra Amphitheater
• Slaughter in the Roman amphitheatre: ISIS child executioners shoot dead 25 Syrian regime soldiers
• ISIS Destruction of Ancient Sites Hits Mostly Muslim Targets
• Islamic State jihadists planting mines around the ancient ruins in Palmyra
• ISIS Puts Captured Roman Amphitheatre Back Into Use as Venue for Execution as Entertainment
• Islamic State destroys famous lion god statue in Palmyra
• Fresh air raids launched against ISIS amid fears ISIS will slaughter rare bird
• Obama's ISIS Quickly Slaughters 400 In Palmyra, Mostly Children, Women
• Syrian Priest Reportedly Kidnapped as ISIS Moves Beyond Palmyra
• ISIS Targets City that Inspired Washington, D.C. for Destruction
• ISIS: A Bolshevik Precedent?
• Breaking: Historic Palmyra, Syria FALLS to ISIS
• ISIL advances on Syria's ancient city of Palmyra
• Syria's ancient oasis city of Palmyra threatened in fighting
• Syrian Army Attacks Palmyra's Roman Ruins
• Early Christian church found in Syrian desert city
• GOTTA SEE THIS-War Endur.Freedom 9/30/02 Baku-Ceyhan, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Syria, Palmyra, Tehran

[Bigg Red]

Agree

[PoloSec]

It is radical islamic intent to erase any world history not rooted in islam.

[R. Scott]

Yes, Muslims consider anything before their “prophet” to be irrelevant.