FA 210 Art of the World Some of the world's most important sites are being systematically destroyed by ISIS, but there are many other destroyed or endangered historic and cultural sites. Here are a bunch of reasons and examples.

1. How do we know what we know about
ancient cultures?

2. Why are important cultural sites
destroyed?
• Cultural genocide
• Profit
• Development
• Carelessness or ignorance
• Looting
• Religious intolerance
• War

4. Krystallnachtj, 1938

5. Dortmund Synagogue, Dortmund,
Germany

6. After Krystallnacht

8. Noh Mul
Mayan Pyramid ca. 250 BC

9. After:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H
KFliS6DlI4

10. Nanjing, China

11. Heinrich Schliemann, Troy, 1870s

12. American troops in Iraq
Ziggurat of Ur

13. Hanging Gardens of Babylon

14. Apamea, Syria,
2011

15. El Hibeh,
Egypt

16. Post-looting
Egypt
El Hibeh

17. Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan

18. World’s largest
Buddha
• 153 feet tall
• Built in 507 AD
• Seen as infidel
Idolatry by the
Taliban

19. http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/
nbcnews-com/flashback-the-
destruction-of-the-buddhas-of-
bamiyan-409457219869
• Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan
• Destroyed in March 2001

20. Al-Omari Mosque, Gaza 7th century AD

21. • Destroyed in Israeli
airstrike, 2014

22. "We were ordered by our prophet
to take down idols and destroy
them.”
- ISIS

23. Mosul (Nineveh) Jonah’s Tomb

24. Areas under
control of
ISIS

25. http://thoughtcatalog.com/james-b-
barnes/2014/07/are-you-a-christian-
jonahs-tomb-as-in-jonah-and-the-
whale-has-been-destroyed/
• City of Mosul (site of ancient Assyrian city of
Nineveh) – many sites destroyed.

26. Nabi Yunus (Jonah’s Tomb)

27. Assyrian city of Nimrud

28. http://www.theguardian.com/w
orld/2015/mar/06/isis-destroys-
ancient-assyrian-site-of-nimrud
Archaeological site of Nimrud

29. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ir
aqi-city-of-nimrud-stood-for-3000-
years-until-isis/

30. Some sites damaged by ISIS include:
• Mosul (Museum, Library + many mosques
• Imam Dur Mausoleum
• Mosque of Prophet Yunus (Jonah)
• Khorsabad
• Hatra
• Dura-Europos
• Nineveh
• Nimrud
• Palmyra

31. Palmyra, Syria – a UNESCO World
Heritage Site

34. Temple of Bel

35. Temple of Baal-Shamin

36. Dr. Khaled al-Asaad