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The Documentary: The Museum Of Lost Objects: Palmyra

The Museum Of Lost Objects: Palmyra

13/08/2016 GMT

Palmyra

The Museum Of Lost Objects

BBC World Service - The Documentary, The Museum Of Lost Objects, Palmyra

The story and destruction of the Temple of Bel,Mar Elian and the Lion of al-Lat

The histories of the Temple of Bel, the shrine of Mar Elian and the ancient statue the Lion of al-Lat, all destroyed by so called Islamic state in and around Palmyra.

In May 2015, the Syrian city of Palmyra was captured by the forces of the so-called Islamic State. Few of the group's excesses have won as much attention as their ravaging of the city. They have waged a campaign of violence against the local population, and they systematically destroyed many of the city's great monuments, including the 2,000 year old Temple of Bel; the Lion of al-Lat, an ancient sculpture of a protective spirit; and the nearby shrine of Mar Elian in the Syrian desert that was beloved by both Christian and Muslim communities for hundreds of years. 

The three-part series, the Museum of Lost Objects, traces the histories of ten lost treasures through the stories of people who knew and loved them. From sculptures and shrines to tombs and temples, we explore how these ancient treasures have remained present in the lives of Iraqis and Syrians right up to this grim modern era of destruction. What you’ll hear is a recreation of sorts: these places and objects reimagined through local legends, histories and extraordinary personal stories.  Think of it as a virtual Museum of Lost Objects; its curator is the history-obsessed writer, Kanishk Tharoor.

Picture: The Temple of Bel, Credit: Getty Images

The Documentary: The Museum Of Lost Objects

Kanishk Tharoor traces the histories of destroyed or looted antiquities and landmarks

Series tracing the histories of antiquities and landmarks that have been destroyed or looted in Iraq and Syria, India and Pakistan

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