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Experience Ancient Palmyra in 360° and in 3D

26.02.2019
Pergamonmuseum

A 360° film produced in collaboration with the Vorderasiatisches Museum reveals the ancient city of Palmyra in a historically accurate digital reconstruction. The VR project was produced by ZDF/Terra X and the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra became famous for tragic reasons in 2015. Before the eyes of the world, the “queen of the dessert” was systematically destroyed by Islamic State terrorists. The first instances of heavy damage to the ruins took place back in 2013 in battles between rebel forces and Syrian government troops. It remains uncertain whether the site will ever be able to be reconstructed. ZDF/Terra X and the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz have now commissioned a digital reconstruction of the ancient metropolis through a detailed virtual reality project.

In 360° films, multiple virtual tours guide viewers through the highlights of the ancient city, such as the Temple of Bel, the Roman theatre, the colonnades and Hadrian’s Arch. All depictions of the ancient buildings reflect current information about the condition of the site, right down to the smallest details. The reconstruction is the result of a close collaboration between archaeologists from the Vorderasiatisches Museum of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and VR specialists from the company men@work Media Services S.R.L., and was produced by Stein Film Produktion in cooperation with ZDF and the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz.

Ancient Palmyra in 360° and in 3D: Temple of Bel from Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz.

Through excavation and restoration projects, the Vorderasiatisches Museum has been involved in archaeological research in Syria and in the conservation of its cultural heritage for over 30 years now. Alongside the publication of the outcomes of the Syrian-German excavations at Tell Halaf between 2006 and 2010, work will also be carried out with a view to developing a new exhibition concept for the collection display in the Pergamonmuseum. As part of this, the Palmyra holdings will also be made accessible to the public, in order to convey the enduring influence of the cultures of the Ancient Near East.

Through the Syrian Heritage Archive Projects, the Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz has been working together with the Museum für Islamische Kunst of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin on the cultural heritage of Syria for years. In the exhibition Cultural Landscape Syria: Conservation and Archiving in Times of War, from 28 February 2019, the project will be presented to the general public in the Pergamonmuseum.