"The archaeologists at the Hermitage Museum are experts in restoring, reconstructing and preserving ancient cities. They know how it is done," Zvezda TV quoted Mikhail Piotrovsky, Director of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg as saying.
Daesh took Palmyra under control in May 2015. In the ten months that followed the brutal group, notorious for destroying pre-Islamic heritage, leveled the Temple of Bel, the Temple of Baalshamin, the Arch of Triumph and several funerary towers. The militants also used the ruins to stage mass executions.
Some of the priceless artifacts on display at a local museum were smashed or defaced.
Despite the fact that damage that has been done to Palmyra's cultural heritage is extensive, Syrian experts from the Directorate-General for Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) say that the Temple of Bel and the Arch of Triumph could be restored.
"UNESCO is gathering leading experts on artifacts dating to late Antiquity. They will write individual reports, outlining what should be restored first, how it should be done, what experts should be invited to participate and what funding is needed," UNESCO expert Alexei Lidov of the Moscow State University explained.
Lidov estimated that restoration work in Palmyra will last for five to seven years.
