Replica of Syrian arch attacked by IS to be recreated in UK,US

A replica of a 2,000-year-old arch in the Syrian city of Palmyra that survived attempts by ISIS militants to destroy it is to be erected in London and New York using the world’s biggest 3D printer.

The 15-metre-high arch is one of the few remaining parts of the Temple of Bel in the Syrian city. It was almost completely destroyed by ISIS militants as they systematically destroyed Palmyra over the past year.

The construction of a replica will be the centrepiece of a series of events around World Heritage Week, planned for April, with a theme of replication and reconstruction, The Guardian reported.

The pieces will be made in China using the world’s biggest 3D printer and then assembled in place in Trafalgar Square in London and Times Square in New York. It has also been characterised as a gesture of defiance against attempts by religious extremists to erase the pre- Islamic history of the Middle East.

In AD32, the Temple of Bel was consecrated to the ancient Mesopotamian god Bel and formed the centre of religious life in Palmyra.

Known as the Pearl of the Desert, Palmyra which means city of Palms lies 210 km north-east of Damascus. Before the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, more than 150,000 tourists visited the city every year.

The Temple of Bel was considered among the best preserved ruins at Palmyra, until news of the destruction in August.

Building a copy of the temple’s entrance arch has been proposed by the Institute for Digital Archaeology, a joint venture between Harvard University, the University of Oxford and Dubai’s Museum of the Future that promotes the use of digital imaging and 3D printing in archaeology and conservation.