Saudi Cultural Ministry to host ‘Cities Destroyed by Terrorism’ exhibition

The Temple of Bel in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra. (Getty Images)

On 30 August 2015, Daesh demolished the Temple of Bel in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra using 30 tonnes of explosives. (Getty Images)

Aleppo's historic citadel, before the war, on August 9, 2010. (Reuters)

Aleppo's historic citadel, after it was damaged, on December 13, 2016. (Reuters)

• The prince said the exhibition would use the latest technology to raise public awareness of heritage and the importance of preserving it

JEDDAH: The devastating impact of terrorism on heritage sites will be highlighted in an exhibition hosted by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture.
“Cities Destroyed by Terrorism” will open in Riyadh on April 25, said Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al-Saud.
The 30-day show, hosted by the ministry in cooperation with the Arab World Institute in Paris, will feature ancient and archaeological sites such as Libya’s Leptis Magna, Aleppo and Palmyra in Syria, and Mosul in Iraq.
The prince said the exhibition would use the latest technology to raise public awareness of heritage and the importance of preserving it.
“Through this exhibition we aim to help society realize the importance of heritage because it documents human history, which introduces us to the worlds of previous civilizations that were destroyed or neglected because of extremist and terrorist ideologies that found the areas of conflict an opportunity to threaten our history in the Middle East,” he added.
The exhibition proved a hit in Paris, where visitors went on a virtual journey through cities that were destroyed, looted or neglected because of war in the Middle East.