ISIS Bombings: Ancient Cultural Sites And Art The Terrorist Group Has Destroyed In Syria

ISIS has destroyed Roman cultural sites in the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria, the country's chief of antiquities said Friday. A tetraplyon -- a structure with four columns -- and a Roman amphitheater, were the latest ancient monuments to fall victim to the Islamic State's wrath toward any art, sculpture, building or person the group deems heretical or "un-Islamic." The army retook Palmyra in December, after surrendering the city to Syrian state forces back in March 2016.

Like Al-Qaeda and the Taliban before it, ISIS has a history of destroying antiquities -- and killing their defenders. Below is a timeline highlighting some of the most important cultural treasures destroyed by the terror group.

March 2015: Nimrud Palace, Iraq

The ancient city of Nimrud was one of four capitals of the Assyrian Empire. The site had a five-mile long wall, a ziggurat (or stepped tower), a large palace and temples dating from ninth century B.C. In March 2015, Iraq's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said ISIS had bulldozed the site. Intricate wall panels and giant statues of winged bulls were found smashed when the Iraqi army retook the city in November 2016.

Summer 2014: Mosul Library and Museum, Iraq

ISIS began destroying historical artifacts and manuscripts as soon as it took the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014. In February 2015, reports surfaced that ISIS had used explosives to destroy the city's public library, and with it, 100,000 books and manuscripts. A UNESCO official called the razing of the library "one of the most devastating acts of destruction of library collections in human history."

ISIS fighters were caught on video toppling and smashing statues in Mosul's museum, the second largest in Iraq.

July 2014: Mosque of Prophet Yunus, Mosul, Iraq

Even ancient mosques are not safe from ISIS. The Mosque of Prophet Yunus, which is said to be home to the tomb of the biblical Jonah, was destroyed by ISIS fighters in 2014. Many Muslims consider Jonah a prophet, but ISIS considers devotion to such figures heretical. The mosque was built on top of Assyrian sites and an early Christian church.

The ruins of the mosque can be seen below.

2014 - 2016: Dura-Europos, Syria

ISIS doesn't just destroy artifacts of the world's cultural heritage -- it also makes a profit off of them. The ancient city of Dura-Europos near the Syria-Iraqi border was built around 300 B.C and served as a Roman outpost. The city contained the world's oldest church, as well as an early synagogue. In 2014, experts used satellite imagery to count 3,750 holes dug into the site by looters.