Syria: Maaloula’s Christian Sites Sacked By Rebels
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
DAMASCUS, SYRIA (Worthy News)– An official report by the Directorate General of Antiquities has documented the destruction inflicted on Maaloula and its historical sites by Islamist rebel fighters after pro-Assad forces had regained the Syrian city, according to International Christian Concern.
Besides the damage associated with warfare, Maaloula’s churches had been defaced with Islamic graffiti. Muslim rebels also damaged altars, defaced icons and paintings, removed or destroyed crosses and disturbed the tombs of monks and nuns in their quest for hidden treasures.
The report revealed two types of looting: the first was by rebels who were aware of the value of the sites they looted and the other was by amateurs who simply took advantage of the situation after taking the town.
Although the report documented the destruction that took place in Maaloula, the financial cost of these losses has yet to be determined.
In addition to the damage done to churches, many of the roofs and walls of Maaloula’s homes have collapsed from the fighting.
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