Don McCullin and Anthony Lloyd Explore Palmyra's Past, Present, and Future

The Enduring Majesty of Palmyra

• 🏛️ Palmyra, a city of sandstone ruins in the Syrian desert, is described as a breathtaking site with 2,000 years of history, featuring ancient temples, columns, and amphitheaters.
• ✨ The sheer beauty of Palmyra is overwhelming, evoking a sense of awe and a 'spooky' presence, an energy of history and cruelty trapped within its ancient stones.
• 💔 The city has witnessed millennia of war and bloodshed, most recently during the Syrian civil war when it was seized by Islamic State, leading to mass executions and barbaric vandalism, including the destruction of the Temple of Bel.

A Return to Desolation

• 📸 Legendary photographer Don McCullin, nearly 90, and foreign correspondent Anthony Lloyd returned to Palmyra to document its state after years of violence and war.
• 🗺️ This journey, undertaken after the fall of the Assad regime, was a significant opportunity for McCullin, who felt it was like a "blood transfusion" for his photographic career.
• 💔 Lloyd reflects on the profound emotional experience of visiting Palmyra, noting the "sinister side" stemming from the cruel labor of slaves who built the structures, and the "ultimate kind of archaeological wedding cake" appearance of the ruins.

Reflections on War and Legacy

• ✈️ McCullin, who spent 60 years photographing wars and revolutions, initially joined the RAF and failed his trade test to become a photographer, ironically leading him to spend his career with infantry soldiers.
• 📍 McCullin's first visit to Palmyra was in his early 50s, after leaving the Sunday Times, and he describes gorging himself with his eyes, feeling deeply moved by the privilege of being there.
• 🇸🇾 Lloyd notes that despite the apparent stability, Syria remains a tense country with ongoing sectarian and social tensions, and the future is undecided, with Palmyra itself having been taken and retaken by Islamic State.
• 🤝 The experience of returning to Palmyra with McCullin, who knew the site so well, was an amazing and emotionally light experience for Lloyd, contrasting with many other places he works.