Palmyra's ancient Roman temples and archway, blown up by Islamic State fighters last year, will be restored, the head of the antiquities authority said on Saturday before Syria recaptured the city, inflicting a significant defeat on the Islamist group, which had controlled the desert city since May last year.
There was still gunfire in the eastern part of the city on Sunday morning, but the bulk of the Islamic State force had pulled out and retreated east, leaving Palmyra under government control.
Mamoun Abdelkarim promised to revive the Roman-era monuments "as a message against terrorism."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.