Photos show the ruins of Palmyra, the ancient splendor in Syria that endures through war and time

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The entrance to the Roman Theater's precinct, part of the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, late Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The entrance to the Roman Theater's precinct, part of the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, late Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra under a star-studded sky in Syria, in the late hours of Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra under a star-studded sky in Syria, in the late hours of Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The colonnaded Long Street in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra is seen under a star-filled sky in Syria, early Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The colonnaded Long Street in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra is seen under a star-filled sky in Syria, early Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The façade of the Temple of Bel's precinct, in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, early Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The façade of the Temple of Bel's precinct, in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, early Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The entrance to the Roman Theater at the end of the colonnaded Long Street in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra is seen under a star-filled sky in Syria, early Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The entrance to the Roman Theater at the end of the colonnaded Long Street in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra is seen under a star-filled sky in Syria, early Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The rear gate of the Roman Theater in the ancient city of Palmyra is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, early Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The rear gate of the Roman Theater in the ancient city of Palmyra is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, early Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra under a star-studded sky in Syria, in the early hours of Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra under a star-studded sky in Syria, in the early hours of Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Columns of the Long Street, foreground, and the rear gate of the Roman Theater in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra are seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, late Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
Columns of the Long Street, foreground, and the rear gate of the Roman Theater in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra are seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, late Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra under a star-studded sky in Syria, in the late hours of Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra under a star-studded sky in Syria, in the late hours of Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The colonnaded Long Street in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra is seen under a star-filled sky in Syria, early Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The colonnaded Long Street in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra is seen under a star-filled sky in Syria, early Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The entrance to the Roman Theater's precinct, part of the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, late Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The entrance to the Roman Theater's precinct, part of the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, late Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The entrance to the Roman Theater precinct, in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, early Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The entrance to the Roman Theater precinct, in the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, is seen under a star-studded sky in Syria, early Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra under a star-studded sky in Syria, in the late hours of Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
The ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra under a star-studded sky in Syria, in the late hours of Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed)
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4:38 AM on Friday, August 29

By GHAITH ALSAYED

PALMYRA, Syria (AP) — The stately remnants of 2,000-year-old columns and temples rise from the sand in the ancient city of Palmyra, known to locals as the “Bride of the Desert.”

Once the capital of a Roman client state under Queen Zenobia, Palmyra stood as a key hub on the Silk Road linking Rome and Asia.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, ravaged during Syria’s civil war and heavily damaged by Islamic State group militants, still endures.

At night, the ruins stand silhouetted beneath a sky filled with countless stars, just as they did when the city first flourished.

 

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