the replica of a Syrian monument 2,000 years old, the self-styled Islamic State destroyed in the city of Palmyra, was erected in Trafalgar Square in central London .
scale reproduction the Arc de Triomphe was built in Egyptian marble by the Institute of Archaeology Digital (IDA, for its acronym in English) using 3D technology, based on photographs of the original arc.
After London, the structure will be taken from tour different cities in the world.
the director of antiquities of Syria described the event as a “solidarity action”.
“common heritage”
the model built in Trafalgar Square is a third the size of the original arch which was built by the Romans.
will be on display for three days, before being taken by the world cities like New York and Dubai.
final destination , next year, will Palmira, where it will be permanently installed near the original arc, said Roger Michel, executive director of IDA , whose headquarters is in Oxford, England.
“it is a message to create awareness in the world,” said Maamoun Abdulkarim, director of antiquities of Syria, who witnessed the erection of the replica.
“We have a common heritage. Our heritage is universal, not only the Syrian people”.
Palmira, and its complex of ancient ruins called Heritage , was recaptured in late March, after being overrun by fighters EI, in May last year.
at least 280 people were executed during the occupation of the city, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an NGO based in the UK.
Maamoun Abdulkarim visited Palmira a week after being released from Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh) and says 80% of the monuments survive .
Abdulkarim emphasizes that the purpose of the project is the restoration, using new technologies and the remains of the site to rebuild the ancient monuments, rather than creating new ones.
“we can never have the same image that was before ISIS” he said. “We try to be realistic. But we seek to respect the scientific method and the identity of Palmira as a historical site.”
Thousands of images
Roger Michel said when Palmyra was attacked, he decided to intervene with the project database One Million Images IDA distributed 3D camera volunteers from different countries, including Syria.
“it is extraordinary to have a vision of something and see it done in such a tangible way,” he said.
The replica of the Arc de Triomphe 5.5 meters high , was made with machines stone carved to shape and exact design of the original.
the drill was scheduled to thousands of images in two and three dimensions taken the arc, said the director of ADI.
Michel he said he wanted to London was the first to expose the replica because the city itself was rebuilt after the Second World War and hoped that “anyone who respects freedom of expression” understood the importance of recreating the arc .
When you point to the economic importance site for Syrians, added: “the fact that one regrets the loss of life does not mean you should leave the country in ruins. no one can revive the dead but can improve the lives of the survivors. “
Their intent is to restore the monuments “promptly” and “consciousness” not to give extremists “power to delete these objects from our file collective cultural “.
However, professor Bill Finlayson, the Council for British research in the Levant, which supports archaeological research in the region, reacted cautiously.
“advertising and everything else is fine,” he said, saying he does not oppose the project.
“I think the issue of reconstruction on the site itself is a little more problematic “he said.
” a dangerous precedent arises when it is suggested that if something is destroyed, can be reconstructed with the same authenticity that the original ” .
the installation of the replica, which cost about US $ 150,000 , takes place during the week of World Heritage.
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