Ancient Aleppo minaret destroyed

The 11th-century minaret of the Umayyad Mosque in Syria, one of its most famous mosques, was destroyed after rebels allegedly blew it up. Activists however said the minaret was hit by Syrian army tank fire. In October 2012, Unesco appealed for the protection of a world heritage site, describing it as “one of the most beautiful mosques in the Muslim world.” The mosque complex, which dates mostly from the 12th century, has been badly damaged by gunfire and shell hits, the BBC reported. The mosque has been in rebel hands since early 2013, although the surrounding area is still contested. The Syrian government accused rebels reportedly belonging to the al-Qaeda-linked Jabhat al-Nusra group of setting off explosives which destroyed the minaret. Activists refuted this, saying it was a tank shell that ruined the minaret.


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