Monumental Arch of Palmyra

Monumental Arch
قوس النصر

Ruins of the Monumental Arch in 2010
Alternative names Arch of Triumph
Arch of Septimius Severus
General information
Status Destroyed, some stonework survives
Type Ornamental arch
Architectural style Roman/Palmyrene
Location Palmyra, Syria
Coordinates 34°32′59.9″N 38°16′15.6″E / 34.549972°N 38.271000°E / 34.549972; 38.271000
Completed 3rd century
Destroyed October 2015
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii, iv
Designated 1980 (4th session)
Part of Site of Palmyra
Reference no. 23
State Party  Syria
Region Arab States
Endangered 2013–present

The Monumental Arch, also called the Arch of Triumph (Arabic: قوس النصر‎) or the Arch of Septimius Severus, was a Roman ornamental archway in Palmyra, Syria. It was built in the 3rd century during the reign of emperor Septimius Severus. Its ruins later became one of the main attractions of Palmyra, until it was destroyed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in October 2015. Most of its stonework still survives and there are plans to rebuild it using anastylosis.

History

View of the Monumental Arch before the 1930s restoration

The Monumental Arch was built sometime during the reign of emperor Septimius Severus, which lasted from 193 to 211 AD; it linked the main street of the Colonnade and the Temple of Bel.[1] The arch was meant to integrate the southern and central parts of the Colonnade as its location marks a change of 30° in the orientation of the street.[2]

According to some sources, the structure was built as a triumphal arch to commemorate the Romans' victories over the Parthians.[3] The structure was sometimes erroneously referred to as Hadrian's Arch, although emperor Hadrian had been dead for over half a century when the arch was built.[4]

The ruins of the arch, along with other monuments in Palmyra, were depicted in engravings by the British traveller Robert Wood, which were published in London in 1753 under the title The ruins of Palmyra; otherwise Tedmor in the desart.[5]

The Monumental Arch was restored in the 1930s.[4] When the ruins of Palmyra became a tourist attraction in the 20th and early 21st centuries, the arch was one of the city's main sights.[5]

Destruction

Palmyra was captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in May 2015. The militants booby-trapped the arch some time later, and on 4 October it was reported that the arch had been blown up using dynamite.[6] Footage released on 8 October showed that half of the structure was still standing,[7][8] but by the time of the recapture of Palmyra by the Syrian Army in March 2016, very little of the arch remained standing.[9]

The Office of the President of Syria as well as the director-general of UNESCO condemned the destruction of the Monumental Arch.[10] According to the United Nations, the destruction showed that ISIL was "terrified by history and culture."[11][12]

In March 2016, director of antiquities Maamoun Abdelkarim stated that the Monumental Arch, along with the Temples of Bel and Baalshamin, will be rebuilt using existing remains, a process called anastylosis.[13] According to a Syrian official, reconstructing the arch would not be difficult since many of its stones still survive.[14]

A 20 foot (6.1 m) replica the central part of the Monumental Arch was carved out of Egyptian marble in Italy by machinery using a 3D computer model.[15] The replica was installed in Trafalgar Square, London on 19 April 2016. It will be displayed there for three days, before being moved to a number of other locations, including New York City and Dubai.[16] It is to be sent to Syria afterwards.[17]

Architecture

The Monumental Arch and the Great Colonnade

The Monumental Arch was unusual from an architectural viewpoint, since it had a double façade, masking a 30° bend between the eastern and central sections of the Great Colonnade.[4][18] The arch consisted of a large gateway in the centre flanked by a smaller opening on either side.[19]

The arch was decorated with ornate stone carvings, including reliefs depicting plants or geometrical designs. These were similar to those found on other arches built during Severus' reign elsewhere in the Roman Empire, such as at Leptis Magna in modern day Libya.[3] The reliefs on the arch were described by UNESCO as "an outstanding example of Palmyrene art."[19]

References

  1. ↑ Richard Stoneman (1994). Palmyra and Its Empire: Zenobia's Revolt Against Rome. University of Michigan Press. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-472-08315-2.
  2. ↑ Charles Gates (2011). Ancient Cities: The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Taylor & Francis. p. 406.
  3. 1 2 "Palmyra - The Colonnade". romeartlover.tripod.com. Archived from the original on 10 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Demeter, Daniel (3 August 2015). "Palmyra – Monumental Arch". syriaphotoguide.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016.
  5. 1 2 Kaphle, Anup (5 October 2015). "This Is The Monumental Arch ISIS Blew Up In Palmyra". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "ISIL blows up Arch of Triumph in Syria's Palmyra". Al Jazeera. 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015.
  7. ↑ Wyke, Tom (8 October 2015). "First footage emerges revealing the destruction of Palmyra's 2,000-year-old Arch of Triumph as ISIS continue to lay waste to civilization". Daily Mail. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Palmyra National Museum Completely Plundered, Artifacts Partly Destroyed". Sputnik. 27 March 2016. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Robinson, Julian; McLelland, Euan; Glanfield, Emma (1 April 2016). "The 2,000 years of history torn apart by two years of terror: Shocking before-and-after pictures reveal ISIS fanatics' wanton destruction of the ancient relics of Palmyra". Daily Mail. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016.
  10. ↑ El Deeb, Sarah (5 October 2015). "Syria presidency condemns destruction of Palmyra's arch". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016.
  11. ↑ "UNESCO says IS 'terrified by history' after Palmyra destruction". Yahoo! News. 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016.
  12. ↑ "Islamic State destroys 2,000-year-old Arch of Triumph in Palmyra". The Telegraph. 5 October 2015. Archived from the original on 3 November 2015.
  13. ↑ Shaheen, Kareem; Graham-Harrison, Emma (27 March 2016). "Syrian regime forces retake 'all of Palmyra' from Isis". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016.
  14. ↑ "‘Hope in our hearts’: Syrian antiquities chief says experts to assess damage in Palmyra within days". RT. 27 March 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016.
  15. ↑ Farrell, Stephen (28 March 2016). "If All Else Fails, 3D Models and Robots Might Rebuild Palmyra". New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016.
  16. ↑ Turner, Lauren (19 April 2016). "Palmyra's Arch of Triumph recreated in London". BBC. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016.
  17. ↑ de Bruxelles, Simon (30 March 2016). "Replica arch heads for Palmyra after Trafalgar Square". The Times. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016.
  18. ↑ Millin, Aubin Louis; Noel, François; Warens, Israel (1799). Magasin encyclopédique: ou Journal des sciences, des lettres et des arts, Volume 1 (in French). p. 413.
  19. 1 2 Mullen, Jethro; Elwazer, Schams (6 October 2015). "ISIS destroys Arch of Triumph in Syria's Palmyra ruins". CNN. Archived from the original on 5 February 2016.

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