In honor of Palmyra

As it turns out I am not the only one to pay a tribute to Palmyra and more in particular to the great Temple of Bel (see: The temple of Bel at Palmyra – In Memoriam).

A wonderful initiative has been brought into existence with the purpose to recreate full-size replicas of the arch that stood for nearly two thousand years at the entrance to the Temple of Bel in Palmyra and was blown to pieces by the IS who consider this temple as idolatrous.

Using the world’s biggest 3D printer, a copy-conform archway will be created to be placed at Trafalgar Square in London and at Times Square in New York in April 2016 to celebrate a special world heritage week. The 50 feet tall monuments are meant for temporary display in order to make a statement and to draw attention to what is happening in countries like Syria, Iraq and Libya.

[Model of how the arch will look in Trafalgar Square 

- Credit: Institute for Digital Technology]

The arch will also be reproduced in different sizes to be installed in schools and museums all around the world, as well as in other prominent public spaces.

The world definitely must be made aware of the enormous symbolic and cultural value of sites like Palmyra, once the Pearl of the Desert.