Rewriting history: Satellite photos confirm Islamic State blew up a second Palmyra temple

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Before and after satellite photos, taken on August 27 and August 31 respectively, show the erasure of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra. Photo: UNITAR

Published: 9:53am, 1 Sep 2015

Satellite images have confirmed the destruction of a second famed temple in Syria’s Palmyra, the historic city controlled by Islamic State militants, the United Nations said.

“We can confirm destruction of the main building of the Temple of Bel as well as a row of columns in its immediate vicinity,” the UN training and research agency UNITAR said late Monday, providing satellite images from before and after a powerful blast in the ruins of the ancient city Sunday.

The blast had already raised fears that the Islamic State group had damaged another of the Middle East’s most treasured heritage sites.

UNITAR said its satellite programme put to rest any doubts that the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel had been destroyed in the blast.

A shot taken on August 27 clearly shows an erect, rectangular structure surrounded by columns, while a shot taken on Monday showed there was little left besides a few columns in the very outer edges of the site.

The Temple of Bel, pictured in 2010, had stood for 2,000 years before it was apparently blown to bits on the weekend. Photo: Reuters

IS already destroyed the smaller Baal Shamin temple at Palmyra last week, confirming the worst fears about their intentions for the site, which they seized from Syrian regime forces in May.