Satellite imagery shows the Roman Theater largely destroyed, with only four of 16 columns still standing and the stone platform apparently covered in rubble.
By REUTERSUpdated: JANUARY 22, 2017 10:27A satellite picture shows the damage in the Tetrapylon and the Roman Amphitheater in the historical city of Palmyra(photo credit: REUTERS)
Islamic State militants have destroyed one of the most famous monuments in the ancient city of Palmyra, the Tetrapylon, and the facade of its Roman Theater, Syrian antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told Reuters on Friday.The Tetrapylon, marking a slight bend along Palmyra's grand colonnade, comprises a square stone platform with matching structures of four columns positioned at each of its corners.A file photo shows the Roman Theater in the historical city of Palmyra (Reuters)Satellite imagery sent by Abdulkarim to Reuters showed it largely destroyed, with only four of 16 columns still standing and the stone platform apparently covered in rubble.The imagery also showed extensive damage at the Roman Theater, with several towering stone structures destroyed on the stage.Abdulkarim said if Islamic State remained in control of Palmyra "it means more destruction". He said the destruction took place sometime between Dec. 26 and Jan. 10, according to the satellite imagery of the site.The Syrian government lost control of Palmyra to Islamic State in December, the second time the jihadist group had overrun the UNESCO world heritage site in the six-year-long Syrian conflict.UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said in a statement that the destruction constituted "a new war crime and an immense loss for the Syrian people and for humanity".Islamic State had previously captured Palmyra in 2015. It held the city for 10 months until Syrian government forces backed by allied militia and Russian air power managed to drive them out last March.During its previous spell in control of Palmyra, Islamic State destroyed other monuments there, including its 1,800-year-old monumental arch. Palmyra, known in Arabic as Tadmur, stood at the crossroads of the ancient world.