Palmyra: A Matter that Concerns us All

Based on personal impressions gathered during my stay in the Middle East in 1998 and in 2002, this article focuses on the preservation of art in the Hellenistic city of Palmyra. The destruction of the ancient art produced in such a magnificent place means not only a breach with the past; it is also a bad omen for the very existence of art in the future of mankind. The Author thanks Professor Júlio Tadeu Carvalho da Silveira for his generous cooperation.

Keywords: Palmyra, Art, Middle East, Preservation, Humanity.