May he always be remembered 💔 #history

[HistorybyMae]

Khaled Mohamad al-Asaad was a Syrian archaeologist who headed the antiquities in the ancient city of Palmyra, the city of queen Zenobia. Khaled even named one of his daughters Zenobia after the historic Queen.

He became the principal custodian of the Palmyra site in 1963, a position he held for forty years and elevated the site to a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In May 2015, modern Palmyra and the adjacent ancient city came under the control of ISI$. Al-Asaad helped evacuate the city museum prior to the group's takeover but was himself captured by the group.

Realising he would never reveal the secrets of Palmyra, they dragged Khaled Al-Asaad into a square where a large crowd witnessed his beheading. They hanged his body from a Roman pillar before taking it into the city centre where they tied him to a traffic light, his head on the ground between his legs, his spectacles still in place. A plaque hung from his neck, on which was written, “Director of Idolatry.”

In the weeks that followed the murder, IS destroyed several iconic parts of Palmyra from the 1st and 2nd Centuries that it considered idolatrous.

[bravepotatoad]

I was in a Roman Archaeology class for my Classics degree when this happened. My professor had worked with him and she broke down. We all cried that day.

[TheVigilnte]

How disturbed must one be to torture and execute an elderly man in such a grotesque manner? May he never be forgotten for his bravery and strength.

[OopsAllTism]

His ancestors would be moved beyond tears at how a descendent gave his life to protect their home

[dagmarpreinerstorfer]

I knew him personally, a very kind, intelligent man. I spent several weeks in Syria in 1992 with a group of my university and he gave us wonderful tours through Palmyra and dura Europos.

[NinjaSushi]

Dude, weeks of torture at the age of 83 only to be beheaded. My dude was an absolute boss and had some serious faith. God bless his brave soul.

[AlisonKenzoland]

That was not just for his own people but for the human race. All glory and honor to this beautiful, fierce soul who protected us collectively until his last breath.

[grimesdaughter]

Imagine; torturing and killing a grandfather age scientist because he wanted to protect a piece of history OF YOUR COUNTRY! This is so twisted, absurd and truly heartbreaking. May his memory be an inspiration. 🕊

[sarahtw]

I'm Syrian, what happened in my country was beyond cruelty, thank you for shedding light over this wonderful human being ❤

[rosemadder]

I remember it being on the news when they destroyed Palmyra and this happened... I remember them going through and defacing ancient statues, etc, and me being completely disgusted. All that ancient beauty that had been preserved for so long, ruined by one group. And this beautiful soul that stood up for it all, and sacrificed himself in the fight against evil 😢 What a man ❤ That would be utterly terrifying.

[Chookity-Pok]

I hate how much this made me cry. He looks like my grandpa. The creatures that tortured and killed him are no humans.

[Jesselde]

This man sounds like a war hero. One who made the ultimate sacrifice. May his soul rest in peace.😢

[unrulycrow]

Back then, I was a Cultural Heritage student (Fine Art restoration and conservation - specialised in ceramics so places like Palmyra are of particular relevance since my specialty is especially broad and includes archaeological artefacts).

I remember some of my classmates and I crying when we heard the news. Truly a heinous crime and a terrible loss for our field.

[rinaantler]

His bravery showed us that the people that killed him wanted to spread violence and hate above all else. It was never about idolatry.

[Maeglin]

And becauee of those....individuals so much history is lost to never be found again. And that is a huge tragedy. People slain trying to protect their ancestors' art, literature, even the architecture, all of it ... gone.

[MariamAljajeh-xmmc]

I am from Syria and i can not deny what these horrible people did to our country and our people
The worst crimes were committed
There are millions of stories just like his😢

[saranya]

He was not worshiping idols, he was just preserving history, even an atheist can be archeologist. Govt should do better in saving such people 😢

[Amzzyyo]

I need to remember that for every violent, evil, and pathetic man out there, there are twice as many kind, thoughtful, and gentle men.

[kishannaconandoyle]

Everyone destroys ancient artfacts is a MURDERER!
My professor died in Syria too (2005). He was the chief of Tell Barri for more then 20 years. He used to call that beatiful place "home". One day his companions found him dead in suspicious circustamces. He gave his life to humanity legacy. Thank you professor Paolo Emilio Pecorella ❤

[nugget]

God raise him up. Rest in peace beautiful soul. ❤