Despite damage Palmyra retains ‘integrity, authenticity’: UNESCO

Paris (AFP) – The UN cultural agency said Wednesday that the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra had suffered significant damage at the hands of Islamic State fighters, but that the archaeological site retains much of its authenticity.

An expert UNESCO mission visited Palmyra and found “that despite the destruction of several iconic edifices, the archaeological site of Palmyra retains a large part of its integrity and authenticity.”