2nd destruction of Dura

Like so much of Syria's cultural heritage, Dura fell victim to the chaos of the civil war which broke out in 2011. The damage is so great that it amounts to the second destruction of the city.

Satellite imagery shows hundreds of large pits dug throughout the unexplored areas of the town and the cemetery outside its walls. The site has been looted on an industrial scale, for objects to sell on the illegal antiquities market.

No-one knows what has been lost, but in the process much testimony for the life of the ancient city and its people has been destroyed without record. At the time of writing (April 2020), the area is still effectively a war zone. It is unclear if or when it will be possible to assess the damage. After years of terrible war, priority must be given to the welfare of the local communities, once stability is restored.