ISIS Destroys Another Monument at Palmyra Ruins in Syria
By REUTERS

DAMASCUS, Syria — Islamic State militants have blown up another major monument in the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria’s antiquities chief said Sunday. In recent months, the militants destroyed two ancient temples in the central Syrian city.

The official, Maamoun Abdulkarim, said witnesses in Palmyra had confirmed that the monument, the Arch of Triumph, a jewel in the exquisite collection of ruins in the oasis city, had been blown up.

Islamic State militants have blown up temples at the Roman-era Unesco World Heritage site, which they have controlled since capturing Palmyra from Syrian government forces in May, and they mined other monuments and historic buildings. The group considers the buildings sacrilegious.

“It’s as though there is a curse that has befallen this city, and I expect only news that will shock us,” Mr. Abdulkarim said. “If the city remains in their hands, the city is doomed.

“It is now wanton destruction,” he added. “Their acts of vengeance are no longer ideologically driven because they are now blowing up buildings with no religious meaning.”

In August, the Sunni Muslim militants blew up the temple of Baal Shamin and then the Temple of Bel, one of the best preserved Roman-era sites.

This month it was also confirmed that the militants had destroyed some of the best preserved of Palmyra’s funeral towers, sandstone constructions built to hold the remains of the ancient city’s richest families.

Palmyra was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world, according to Unesco — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — which has described it as the crossroads of several civilizations.

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has declared a caliphate in the territory it holds across Syria and Iraq and has destroyed other monuments it says are pagan and sacrilegious.

Unesco has called such acts war crimes and says the Islamic State seeks to wipe out evidence of Syria’s diverse heritage.

Before the capture of the city, Syrian officials said they had moved hundreds of ancient statues to safe locations.

IS破壞古蹟 炸毀敘利亞帕米拉古城「凱旋門」

伊斯蘭國5月占領敘利亞古城帕米拉以來，按部就班破壞城中已有二千年歷史的古蹟，最新的毀滅文明惡行是炸毀著名的「凱旋門」。

敘利亞古蹟部長阿布都卡林姆說：「我們收到消息，凱旋門昨天（4日）被毀。他們幾周前就在上面綁炸藥了。」

阿布都卡林姆說：「他們有系統地摧毀這個古城，要將之完全夷平。他們要摧毀半圓形劇場、柱廊，我們現在為整個古城擔心」。他呼籲國際社會「想辦法救救帕米拉」。

另一位消息人士形容，凱旋門「化為粉末」。

帕米拉是連接羅馬帝國到波斯與東方的輻輳要衝，充滿古羅馬時代的建築群，以及地方神祇的廟蹟，喜愛古蹟者暱稱此城為「沙漠新娘」。

伊斯蘭國在敘利亞與伊拉克到處破壞教堂、清真寺、博物館，數周前在帕米拉炸毀巴爾夏明廟與貝爾廟，都是二千年的稀世名蹟。

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/05/world/middleeast/isis-destroys-another-palmyra-ruins-monument-in-syria.html

2015-10-05．聯合晚報．A6．國際焦點．編譯彭淮棟