Ifølge den ansvarlige for Syriens oldtidsminder, Maamoun Abdulkarim, er den indre del af templet ødelagt, og flere af de søjler, der omgiver templet, styrtet sammen.
“IS foretog henrettelser i Palmyras gamle teater, i juli ødelagde de den berømte løvestatue af Athena og forvandlede museet til et fængsel og en retssal”, siger Abdulkarim.
IS took control of Palmyra in May, sparking fears the group might demolish the UNESCO World Heritage site, writes BBC online Sunday.
The group has destroyed several ancient sites in Iraq.
Last month, IS published photos of militants destroying what it said were artefacts looted at Palmyra.
Chefarkæolog halshugget
Last week, it emerged that the 81-year-old archaeologist who had looked after Palmyra’s ruins for four decades had been beheaded by the militant group.
Presumably because he persistently denied the IS information about the where-abouts of hidden antique treasures.
The group has also published photos of what they said was the destruction of two Islamic shrines near Palmyra, which they described as “manifestations of polytheism” (flerguderi).
The temple of Baalshamin dates from the early 1st Century AD (efter Kristi fødsel). It is dedicated to the Phoenician god of storms and fertilising rains.
The modern city of Palmyra – known locally as Tadmur – is situated in a strategically important area on the road between the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.
Nearby, the monumental ruins of the ancient city rise out of the desert. UNESCO and others consider the site one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world.
UNESCO fordømmer ødelæggelse af historisk kloster
Meanwhile the Director-General of UNESCO Friday strongly condemned the destruction of the Mar Elian monastery located in the Syrian town of al-Qaryatayn, reports the UN Organization for Education, Science and Culture.
The monastery is a major pilgrimage site for Syria’s Christian community, with yearly festivities in honor of Saint Elian drawing thousands of visitors.
“The intentional targeting and systematic destruction of the cultural heritage of Syria is reaching unprecedented levels”, said the Director-General. “The destruction of the Mar Elian monastery is a tragic loss for the region, for women and men around the world”
According to news reports, the video published by ISIL shows the profanation (vanhelligelse) and subsequent destruction of the monastery, as well as the exhumation (opgravning) of the remains of Saint Elian, who was martyred in the 3rd century AD.
The monastery is located in al-Qaryatayn, south-west of Palmyra and south-east of Homs.
“The cultural cleansing underway at the hands of ISIL/Daesh must stop. The persecution of communities reflecting the great diversity of Syria, combined with the systematic destruction of some of the most iconic representations of Syria’s rich heritage, testifies to an ideology of hatred and exclusion”, said the Director-General.
The principal structure of the Mar Elian monastery dates to 1938 but its ancient foundations house the 5th century tomb of Mar Elian.
The destruction comes amid news reports that several hundred people, including Christians, have been kidnapped by ISIL/Daesh.
Læs videre hos UNESCO
