Take a virtual tour of the Roman ruins of Palmyra in Syria - in pictures

Syria has six sites listed on the Unesco elite list of world heritage and all of them sustained some level of damage in the 10-year war

A damaged amphitheatre in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra in the country's central province of Homs. AFP

Syria has six sites listed on Unesco's world heritage list. All of them sustained some level of damage in the 10-year war. AFP

Besides Palmyra and Aleppo, Syria's ancient cities of Damascus and Bosra also sustained damage. AFP

The damaged Temple of Bel, Palmyra, Syria, contrasts with the complete destruction that surrounds. AFP

it's hard to believe Palmyra was once a booming, busy metropolis. AFP

In the 20th century, it was one of Syria’s biggest tourist destinations. AFP

ISIS seized Palmyra and its ancient ruins back in 2015 and, despite promising to leave the columns and temples untouched, destroyed many historical sites. AFP

Palmyra was just one of many losses inflicted on Syria’s heritage during the war. AFP

While Syria's tourism industry remains stunted, many believe it has the potential to attract the crowds once more. AFP

Whether the country's tourism heyday can ever return, however, remains to be seen. AFP

More galleries from The National:

Displaced Syrian builds model of Palmyra from memory - in pictures

Christians celebrate Easter in Jerusalem's Old City - in pictures

Wildlife thriving in Shareen Nature Reserve at Saudi Arabia's Al Ula - in pictures

Saudi Green initiatives: everything you need to know about plan to plant 50 billion trees

Saudi Arabia's Grand Mosque to be cleaned daily with 60,000 litres of sanitiser during Ramadan