Russian Experts Name Price, Timeline in Restoration of Palmyra Monuments

Key monuments in the historical Syrian city of Palmyra destroyed by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group can be restored within months or years at prices up to $400,000, Russian experts estimated in a report obtained by RIA Novosti Wednesday following their July 5-9 visit.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The report is skeptical about the likelihood that the Temple of Bel could be restored, saying "the damage is significant, the sanctuary is split into many small and large fragments." Vast financial resources and at least 3-4 years would be needed to reconstruct the temple based on photographs and images, it adds.

"In the course of hostilities and deliberate destruction, objects of architectural and archaeological heritage suffered serious damage. This has particularly affected the Arch of Triumph, the temples of Bel and Baalshamin, the Queen Zenobia Great Colonnade with very important dedications, a large number of towers and underground tombs; the Fakhr-al-Din Castle, belonging to the Middle Ages, was partially destroyed," the report states.

The Temple of Baalshamin and the Monumental Arch, on the other hand, could be restored within 2-3 months and 9-12 months, respectively. The report estimates the temple could be restored at the cost of $175,000, while reconstruction of the arch would cost $400,000.

Officials from the Russian Ministry of Culture, the Hermitage Museum, the State Museum of Oriental Art, the Grabar Art Conservation Center and the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Archaeology took part in last week's mission to Palmyra.