Islamic State (IS) has destroyed two ancient Islamic tombs at Palmyra. The news comes a month after the group seized control of the city and three days after media reports stated that IS militants had planted landmines inside the temples and monuments of the 2,000-year-old World Heritage Site in Syria. The mausoleums were located outside of Palmyra’s main Roman ruins and Syrian officials have stated no Roman remains were damaged in the explosion.
The destroyed shrines were those of Mohammed bin Ali—a descendent of the Prophet Mohammad’s cousin—and the Sufi scholar Nizar Abu Bahaaeddine. According to the website of Syria’s Director-General of Antiquities and Museums, the tomb of the former is on a hill around 4km north of Palmyra and the latter is in an oasis around 500m from the site’s Arch of Triumph. The mausoleum of Nizar Abu Bahaaeddine is approximately 500 years old.
Speaking to Agence France-Presse, the Syrian antiquities head Maamoun Abdulkarim, said: “They [IS] consider these Islamic mausoleums to be against their beliefs, and they ban all visits to these sites.” This is the first confirmed report of damage near the World Heritage Site since IS seized control of the area in May. At the time, Unesco’s director-general, Irina Bokova, released a statement calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities at “one of the most significant sites in the Middle East”.
In 2013, there were reports that the ancient site was damaged by mortar fire in the fighting between President Assad’s troops and Syrian rebels. Among the ancient buildings hit was the Temple of Baal.
