Notre Dame evokes humanity's other losses in Mideast

Monday's blaze at Paris' Notre Dame Cathedral brings to mind other historic landmarks and treasures humanity has lost in recent years during civil wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. While Notre Dame's roof and steeple fell victim to an accidental fire, the landmarks in the Muslim countries were destroyed deliberately by explosives. Palmyra, Syria Daesh demolished Palmyra's ancient Lion of Al-lat statue as well as several other majestic statues such as the first-century Temple of Baal Shamin, Temple of Bel, and second-century Tower of Elahbel. Great Mosque of Aleppo, Syria The 114-feet-high stone minaret was built in 1090, and was destroyed by the Syrian regime during fighting in the Syrian civil war in 2013. It has been under renovation since 2017. Mosque of the Prophet Jonah (Nabi Younis), Mosul, Iraq Great Mosque of al-Nuri, Mosul, Iraq Buddhas of Bamyan, Kabul, Afghanistan