Why ISIS Hates Archaeology and Blew Up Ancient Iraqi Palace
With a video showing an Assyrian palace's destruction, the Islamic State wants to establish itself as heir to a legacy of "idol destruction."
On April 11th, a brief video appeared on social media and quickly became the subject of international news headlines and the target of global condemnation.
It was exactly what the Islamic State (ISIS) wanted.
The roughly seven-minute video shows the destruction of what experts confirm is the Northwest Palace at Nimrud, built in the ninth century B.C. by the Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II. (Learn more about the Northwest Palace at Nimrud.)
While reports from early March that the site was destroyed by bulldozers proved to be incorrect, experts tell National Geographic that the events recorded in the video most likely occurred some time between mid-March and early April.
“Whenever we take control of a piece of land, we remove the symbols
