A replica of The Roman Triumphal Arch of Palmyra, a 2,000-year-old structure in Syria that was destroyed by Isis last year, was unveiled at City Hall Park this week. The unveiling comes as hundreds of diplomatic and political dignitaries will gather for a week-long exchange on key global issues during the UN General Assembly.
The original Arch of Palmyra was a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Syria. Originally it was the entryway to the pre-Islamic Temple of Baal, which later became a Christian church and eventually an Islamic mosque. In August 2015, ISIS militants beheaded the archeologist who acted as the sites custodian and destroyed the temple with explosives.
Shortly after the original was destroyed the 3D-printed replica of the arch was created. The 25-foot, 30,000 lb, installation was created by Institute for Digital Archeology working with Unesco, Icomos and other cultural heritage organisations as an ongoing effort to preserve threatened sites in Middle Eastern and North African high-risk areas.
The arch, was previously on show in London, Trafalgar Square, and will be in the city until Saturday, September 24. Head out to see this piece world history before it heads home to to Palmyra (making a stop in Dubai along the way).
#TriumphalArch #Palmyra @NYCEDC @NYCMayorsOffice @DigiArchaeo #CityHallPark #NYC https://t.co/0Ho6zJvucD pic.twitter.com/4jz6ySCCF3
— AFineLyne (@afinelyne) September 19, 2016
A photo posted by NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs (@nyculture) on
Featured image source [artnet]