The view from above: Drone footage captures Palmyra ruins 1:00

PALMYRA: A PRIMER

Ancient history: Palmyra, home to 2,000-year-old ruins and variously known as the "Bride of the Desert" or "Venice of the Sands," is one of the best-preserved specimens of antiquity in the Middle East. The ancient city changed hands many times over thousands of years; it was a major hub of Roman power in the Middle East in the first century AD, and became the capital of the breakaway Palmyrene Empire in the third century.

Modern history: Palmyra, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, first fell in the crossfire of the now five-year-old civil war between Bashar al-Assad's government and Syrian rebels. In 2015, Islamic State seized control of Palmyra, at first promising not to damage it, but later using explosives to demolish the Roman-era Temple of Bel and the smaller Phoenician Temple of Ball Shamin. This past weekend, Syrian forces, backed by heavy Russian air support, drove Islamic State out of Palmyra, saying it would become "a launchpad to expand military operations" to "tighten the noose" on Islamic State's supply routes.

WHAT PALMYRA LOOKS LIKE NOW



The Temple of Bel, shown above on March 14, 2014, and below on March 27, 2016. AFP/GETTY IMAGES

The Triumph’s Arch is shown above on June 19, 2010, and below on March 27, 2016. AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Handout pictures released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency showed the aftermath of looting and vandalism in the Palmyra museum:

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

ASSOCIATED PRESS

AFP/GETTY IMAGES

And here's raw footage of the Syrian troops entering Palmyra and damage on the streets:

Syrian troops drive Islamic State out of Palmyra 0:56

With a report from Reuters

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