PALMYRA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th April, 2019) Syrian Tourism Minister Mohammed Rami Radwan Martini told Sputnik that the country's authorities had managed to rebuild the whole infrastructure of the historical city of Palmyra that was damaged by Islamic State terrorist group (IS, banned in Russia).
"We plan to open a large number of special enterprises in Palmyra that will serve tourists: hotels and so on. Now the state has restored all infrastructure of Palmyra � electricity, water supply, sewerage � and the city located near the ancient monument got back to a normal life," the minister said.
Martini added that the United Nations and other international organizations provided their help in rebuilding Palmyra, however, this help was seriously limited and a leading contributor was the Syrian government.
Palmyra was the capital of the Palmyrene Empire and one of the richest cities of the Roman Empire. The ancient ruins and monuments of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, lost several important artifacts in the first attack of the IS terrorist group in 2015. The Temple of Bel, Temple of Baalshamin, Arch of Triumph and columns in the Valley of the Tombs were destroyed by terrorists. The city was eventually taken back by the Syrian government forces, but in December 2016, IS militants recaptured it, further damaging the historic site. The Syrian forces regained control of the city in March 2017.
