political figure

Khaled al-Asaad

خالد الأسعد

Journeys

The Man Who Chose Palmyra Over His Life

Khaled al-Asaad spent 40 years as the guardian of Palmyra's 2,000-year-old ruins. When ISIS came, he hid the most precious artefacts and refused to reveal their location even under torture. His execution — and the subsequent demolition of Palmyra's temples — became a symbol of ISIS's war on human civilisation itself.

Biography

Khaled Mohamad al-Asaad was a Syrian archaeologist who was head of antiquities in the ancient city of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. He held this position for over forty years. Al-Asaad was publicly beheaded by the Islamic State on 18 August 2015, at the age of 83.

Documentation Status

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Journeys1

Key Facts

Born:1934

Place:Palmyra, Homs, Syria

Died:2015-08-18

Nationality:Syrian