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ISIS Vows To Destroy Egypt’s Pyramids After Blowing Up 2,500-Year-Old Temple In Iraq

By Tara West
Published on: 10:57 PST, Jun 7, 2016

The Islamic State has vowed to destroy “ancient sites built by infidels” after showing video footage of the group blowing up a 2,500-year-old temple in Iraq. ISIS militants were filmed detonating bombs at the ancient temple of Nabu in Iraq which proceeded to reduce to rubble. Following the destruction of the ancient temple, the group vowed to destroy other ancient sites that were created by “infidels.” When noting their intention to destroy other ancient monuments, the video showed pictures of the Great Pyramid of Giza indicating the group hopes to destroy the impressive Egyptian structures.

The Daily Mail reports that the Islamic State is only getting started when it comes to destroying ancient historic sites and monuments. The group made headlines when they destroyed a number of irreplaceable structures in the Syrian city of Palmyra. Among the priceless structures destroyed in Palmyra were Temple of Bel which was dedicated in 32 A.D. and almost completely intact as well as numerous ancient Greek statues housed in local museums. Reuters created an album of before-and-after photographs taken in Palmyra that show the widespread destruction and loss of ancient artifacts. One interesting feature that the Islamic State left intact in Palmyra is the “Roman theater.” The group has filmed numerous executions in this ancient area and presumably left it intact for future filmed murders.

Palmyra isn’t the only city to see the destruction to ancient structures. A recent video released by ISIS shows the ancient temple of Nabu reduced to nothing more than a pile of rocks following an explosion. The temple was 2,500-years-old and was created as a dedication to the Babylonian god of wisdom. In addition to the ancient temple, ISIS also claims to have destroyed the Adad and Mashki gates at Nineveh. The gates were filmed being bulldozed by militants and the National Geographic obtained images that appear to confirm the destruction.

With the destruction of the temple of Nabu and possible Nineveh, the group claims they will continue to destroy other monuments. In particular, ISIS seems interested in getting a chance to wipe the Great Pyramid of Giza out. When discussing their plan to destroy “ancient sites built by infidels,” the militants featured images of the Great Pyramid of Giza standing next to the Sphinx.

The Egyptian pyramids are situated near the country’s capital of Cairo, and their destruction would certainly destroy the economy in the city which relies heavily on tourism. ISIS is already infiltrating Egypt and concerns of terrorism in the region are mounting. Between terrorist threats and the mysterious EgyptAir crash into the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt is already experiencing a sharp decline in tourism.

While exact numbers of ISIS-related deaths have not been reported in Egypt, Haaretz reports that hundreds of Egyptian military deaths have been attributed to fighting between Egyptian forces and the Islamic State in the highly volatile Sinai Peninsula region.

“Hundreds of Egyptian soldiers are believed to have been killed through the summer of 2015, although it is hard to gauge precise figures as the militants make wildly exaggerated claims and Cairo plays down its casualty numbers.”

With ISIS continuing to push forces further up the Sinai, do you think that the Egyptian government should take the threats seriously and enforce efforts to save the ancient pyramids? Could the Islamic State end the long-running tourism that has helped boost the country’s economy over the years?

[Image via Shutterstock]

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