What Palmyra looked like before Isis

Video has been released showing an insight into what the ancient city once looked like

Footage has been released showing a rare glimpse of the ancient Syrian site of Palmyra before the destruction caused by Isis.

Isis captured Palmyra in the summer of 2015, along with the modern town and some oilfields nearby.

The group, who follow an extreme version of Sunni Islam, considered Palmyra’s ancient ruins, predating Islam, as idolatrous.

In addition to destroying ancient buildings, they also defaced and decapitated statues.

The footage has been made available through collaborations between stock footage company Firehorse ARC, OPIS Zagreb, and Shutterstock, a global provider of imagery and music. The deal with Firehorse is the latest addition to Shutterstock’s collection.

Mouna Mounayer, co-owner Firehorse ARC, said: “The body of content we offer has particular significance and resonance right now as many of the clips are of places that are no longer accessible or have been destroyed, such as the heritage sites of Syria. No one will be able to capture these places and the life around them in the same way again.”

“This is an important archive to bring to a global audience,” said Tom Spota Director of Video Acquisition at Shutterstock. “It is a privilege to be able to offer such diverse and rare footage to film and TV makers around the world. The importance of what ARC has captured on film, before and during the current changes taking place in the Middle East, stands as a powerful record of everyday life and also lost treasures.”