Palmyra's Baalshamin Temple 'blown Up By Is'

[naomi24]

I read this with tears in my eyes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34036644

Each time another of their atrocities raises its thoroughly ugly head I'm reminded of a line from the script of West Side Story .... "You're making this world rotten".

[chaptazbru2]

They can NEVER be rebuilt as the breathtaking beauties they once were, they would be 'secondhand'. I think we all care about the human atrocities, but we can also be concerned about everything that these monsters want to destroy!

[pusskin]

Agree with you naomi, we talked about the ruins, no one asked about the poor people dying. I love all the old ruins, and would have loved to have visited some of them through the yrs. Terrible thing to see them all being destroyed.

[rockyracoon]

I agree with Chaptaz. The slaughter of people is beyond appalling but we can still mourn the demise of ancient buildings. They can never be rebuilt and it is a sad loss that something so ancient and beautiful has been ruined for no good reason.

[mikey4444]

Naomi...that is a daft thing to say, and you know it ! Have you been to Monte Casino ? I spent a week seeing everything I could in Rome in 2007....ditto with Tunisia . 20 years ago, when I was younger and fitter, I spent some very happy days exploring the Anazasi remains in Arizona and New Mexico, so I need no lectures from you.

I appreciate culture but human life is more important. You have posted a lot on the refugee crisis but not once have I seen you cry any tears for the
people fleeing for their lives. And that was my point.

[chaptazbru2]

I think we all know that human life is more important mikey, but we can still mourn lost beauty in the form of ancient buildings needlessly destroyed, can't we ??!

[pusskin]

Well said chaptaz, I am horrified at all the human life being shot at, but can still appreciate these beautiful old buildings being shot at too. So sad.

[marval]

What IS is doing is beyond belief, but they don't care. These sites are sacred and it is so sad that these terrorists have no regard for that.

[Khandro]

I suppose it doesn't go without notice that there are persons - several on AB - whom I call the, "on the other hand" people, in that no matter what is said they have a default knee-jerk reaction to say something opposite, I believe this is done to either (a) appear caring (b) to appear knowledgeable, or (c) out of sheer bloody-mindedness.
Ah well, it takes all sorts....

[naomi24]

Mikey, wandering around tourist sites doesn’t guarantee the acquisition of a true appreciation of what you’re seeing… and yes, I have been to Monte Casino.

I will cry tears for people fleeing for their lives, but unlike you I don’t cry tears for the thousands of economic migrants flooding into Europe. I cry the future of this country!

Now can we please get back to the subject of this thread. You're the first to complain when your threads are derailed.

[agchristie]

Very true Naomi, sadly we can expect much more of the same. I won't mention that word 'dialogue'....

Regarding a lack of understanding of culture, reminds me of the football captain who was told by his manager on a pre-season trip to China, that they were going on a tour of the Great Wall.

The captain objected stating 'you've seen one wall you've seen them all'!!!!

[Svejk]

Yep. You wouldn't really be expecting a contrary view on such a thread. But maybe that's what makes things 'interesting' around here.

[naomi24]

agchristie, that made me laugh out loud. :o)

[gness]

Had this destruction been the result of an earthquake.....some act of nature .......it would have been a tragedy.....such a loss.......

This leaves me beyond tears....rotten indeed, Naomi.....x

[agchristie]

I've never forgotten it Naomi, I had tears of laughter when I first read it. Maybe I should refrain from the word 'tears' though :(

[RATTER15]

Shocking and heartbreaking for such a loss, and totally irreplaceable.

[naomi24]

ag, //Maybe I should refrain from the word 'tears' though :( //

In the circumstances, probably wise. :o)

[atalanta]

I am just so glad I had the chance to see Palmyra some years ago. But where would the terrorists stop ? They would certainly wipe out all the archaeology of Jerusalem, Istanbul, Leptis, Sabratha, Cairo, Ephesus, Petra, Volubilis, and Carthage. We have to worry about such losses, which would desperately impoverish the Muslim/Arab world, and support all the efforts of UNESCO, etc to save them. After all, these have been huge tourist attractions, bringing in vast sums from visitors, and this money will not materialise in future if there is nothing to see. Just how poor do the terrorists want these countries to be ?

[naomi24]

I’ve just heard on the news that the head of antiquities in Palmyra has been beheaded. Here’s a link.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/isis-beheads-archaeologist-syria

[gness]

Naomi......I have no more words......I simply feel despair.

[Old_Geezer]

If you allow yourself to get emotional about art & culture loss then you give the morons what they are hoping for. Accept they will ruin their examples from history. Hope many photos remain in existence. And work towards removing those with this sort of mentality from human society.