IS Wipes Out Treasured Temple in Palmyra,Syria; Temple of Baal Shamin Stood for Nearly 2K Years

The Islamic State (IS) has destroyed another significant landmark in the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria, the Washington Post website reports today (August 24, 2015).

The Temple of Baal Shamin stood for nearly 2,000 years, honoring the Phoenician god of storms and rain.

Destruction of the site is directly in line with the Islamic State's campaign not just against people of non-Islam faiths, but also against their culture. After the IS captured Palmyra in May, Baal Shamin seems to have fallen to the group's philosophy.

"Daesh [another name for the Islamic State] placed a large quantity of explosives in the temple of Baal Shamin today and then blew it up causing much damage to the temple," Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syria's antiquities chief, said. "The [temple's inner area] was destroyed and the columns around collapsed."