In 2016, TORART reconstructed the Arch of Palmyra, which was destroyed by ISIS.
The replica traveled around the world as a powerful symbol of peace and hope: New York, London, Dubai, Florence.
Palmyra, also known as the Bride of the Desert, was one of the most important cities in Syria in ancient times. Before its occupation by the terrorist group ISIS in May 2015, the Roman monuments of Palmyra were not widely known to the general public. Just a year later, the site became a powerful symbol of the value of cultural heritage.
Palmyra is a crossroads of civilizations. Indeed, perhaps more than any other archaeological site of its kind, the fabric of Palmyra reads like a history of the early fusion of Eastern and Western cultural practices, styles, religions, and languages.
At the heart of Palmyra is a spectacular colonnaded street with a Triumphal Arch at its entrance. This Roman arch is one of the most beautiful monuments among the many remarkable ones of the ancient city.
In late summer 2015, the arch, along with numerous other significant buildings on the site, was reduced to rubble by ISIS terrorists who had occupied the ancient city since spring.
The UN Security Council condemned the destruction of cultural heritage in Syria by the so-called Islamic State, devastation that UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova called outright ‘war crimes.’
In 2016, it was decided to reproduce the Triumphal Arch not only because it is a powerful symbol of Palmyra but also as a means to send a message of peace and hope, demonstrating how new technologies can contribute to the process of restoration and reconstruction, and drawing attention to the importance of helping to protect and preserve the history and heritage of peoples threatened worldwide – whether due to conflict, natural disasters, or simply a lack of investment or changes in local circumstances.
The Institute for Digital Archaeology (https://digitalarchaeology.org.uk/) was, in those years, in the early stages of a project to document and protect the cultural heritage of Palmyra, essential documentation for creating a 3D reconstruction of the Arch.
TORART, one of LITIX’s Business Units, was entrusted with the task of reproducing the destroyed monument to scale.
On April 19, 2016, the 26,000-pound reconstruction of the Triumphal Arch was erected in Trafalgar Square and opened to the public in a ceremony led by then-Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. The public reception was extraordinary, with many tens of thousands of people making the trip to visit it. On September 19, 2016, after two weeks at sea, it was unveiled for the second time by Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, H.E. Mohammed Al Gergawi, and IDA Director Roger Michel at City Hall Park, New York City. Since then, the replica has traveled to the World Government Summit in Dubai and the G7 Culture Summit in Florence.
