(Zaman Al Wasl)- New photos of Palmyra Citadel have showed huge destruction in the historic monument, such a crime against humanity carried out by both Syrian regime and the Islamic State.
The Syrian regime and its mercenaries used the citadel as a deployment site following outbreak of the revolution benefiting from the high place of the citadel overlooking large areas of al-Badiya to install cannons and launchers to bomb rebelling areas.
When ISIS captured the city in the summer of 2015, it fortified in the citadel, too. Later, the regime recaptured Palmyra from ISIS latest March 2016 with Russian land and air support and other sectarian militias mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The citadel is the highest point in Palmyra and situated on a very steep hill with 150m of height. The building of the citadel is attributed to Fakhr al-Din al-Mani al-Thani (d.1635 A.D), one of the emirs of Lebanon from Druze sect. However, the origin and history of the citadel go back to the Mamluks in the 13th century.
In early 80s, UNESCO placed Palmyra and the citadel on the list of world heritage to be safeguarded in all means.
But in 2013, UNESCO placed Palmyra and the citadel on the list of World Heritage in Danger due to exploitation of the site in war especially by the regime.
After regime recaptured Palmyra, it led a media campaign to polish its image as protector of antiquities and world heritage and a savior from the extremists. But, the regime contributed widely in destruction of Palmyra and facilitated its robbing by its mercenaries coming from abroad in addition to that the regime was the first to use Palmyra sites as military barracks during the past few years more than other parties fighting there.
The Syrian regime and its mercenaries used the citadel as a deployment site following outbreak of the revolution benefiting from the high place of the citadel overlooking large areas of al-Badiya to install cannons and launchers to bomb rebelling areas.
When ISIS captured the city in the summer of 2015, it fortified in the citadel, too. Later, the regime recaptured Palmyra from ISIS latest March 2016 with Russian land and air support and other sectarian militias mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The citadel is the highest point in Palmyra and situated on a very steep hill with 150m of height. The building of the citadel is attributed to Fakhr al-Din al-Mani al-Thani (d.1635 A.D), one of the emirs of Lebanon from Druze sect. However, the origin and history of the citadel go back to the Mamluks in the 13th century.
In early 80s, UNESCO placed Palmyra and the citadel on the list of world heritage to be safeguarded in all means.
But in 2013, UNESCO placed Palmyra and the citadel on the list of World Heritage in Danger due to exploitation of the site in war especially by the regime.
After regime recaptured Palmyra, it led a media campaign to polish its image as protector of antiquities and world heritage and a savior from the extremists. But, the regime contributed widely in destruction of Palmyra and facilitated its robbing by its mercenaries coming from abroad in addition to that the regime was the first to use Palmyra sites as military barracks during the past few years more than other parties fighting there.
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