Archaeologists push to restore Syria's war-ravaged heritage sites

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00:00It was once dubbed the Bride of the Desert. With its majestic ruins dating back 2,000 years,

00:06Palmyra used to be a major draw for tourists. Now it's marked by smashed columns and damaged

00:11temples, after years of civil war took its toll on an archaeological treasure.

00:19It was subjected to a lot of damage during times of alternating control between the regime and

00:24Islamic State group. There was shelling and cracks in the walls. Even the bridge leading

00:29to the entrance was impacted. Now experts like Ayman Nabu have come back to the site

00:37and are laying the groundwork to welcome tourists again. Palmyra is one of Syria's six UNESCO World

00:43Heritage Sites. But when Islamic State group militants came, they destroyed two of the site's

00:47historic temples, viewing them as monuments to idolatry. Documents and artifacts are also

00:53missing from the museum. And in the underground tombs, Islamic verses have been scribbled on the

00:58walls. Through our field visits after the liberation, we discovered that there are

01:07sites that need rapid intervention to prevent collapses and cracks caused by battles from

01:13worsening. Before the Syrian uprising escalated into a bloody civil war more than 10 years ago,

01:22it used to attract 150,000 visitors per month. But researchers will have their work cut out

01:28if they are to restore Palmyra to its former glory.

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