In a grim footnote to the ongoing human tragedy in Syria, the country’s cultural heritage as well as its civilian population is now in peril. Syria, a center of civilization in the ancient and medieval eras, boasts some of the finest archaeological sites in the near east, notably the old cities of Damascus and Aleppo as well as the ancient synagogue at Dura Europos. Bashar al-Assad’s regime, which should have the knowledge and ability to protect sensitive sites, has done nothing to spare them. There have been reliable reports of violence at a number of sites, including the so-called “Bride of the Desert,” the Roman city of Palmyra, the Omari mosque in Deraa, the early Christian church of St. Julian in Homs, and the medieval castle known as the “Krak des Chevaliers” outside that city.

Palmyra contains Babylonian, Hellenistic, Roman and Islamic treasures, and was home to the legendary Queen Zenobia who rebelled against the Romans in the third century AD. Abandoned for centuries and in an isolated location, the ruins are—or were—particularly well preserved. Given the popularity of Palmyra as a tourist destination, Assad had in the past been content to leave well enough alone. But in February the troops rolled in and took up positions in the 17th-century Citadel of Ibn Maan overlooking the modern town and adjacent to the Roman ruins. Civilians report heavy gun and tank fire targeting any activity in the site, and the extent of the damage can only be imagined.