Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Remembering Palmyra: World mourns fall of ancient city by sharing photos and memories

The Unesco site was once a tourist attraction visited by thousands

Heather Saul
Friday 22 May 2015 10:05 BST
Comments
The ancient Palmyra theater
The ancient Palmyra theater (Reuters)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

People are mourning the fall of Palmyra by sharing their memories and photos of time spent wandering through the ancient city before it was invaded by Isis.

The 2,000-year-old city often described by Syrians as the "Bride of the Desert” was once a tourist attraction that saw thousands explore its ruins. Overnight, it fell to militants who have been battling soldiers at the gates of Palmyra for over a week.

The Unesco World Heritage Site is famous for its grand colonnades, temple, theatre, tombs and stone ruins. But news that it was overtaken by the same group that took great pleasure in demolishing ancient Assyrian and Roman-era sites in Iraq has left many wondering if future generations will ever get the opportunity to build their own memories there.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in