History Haters Mapped

A new map from the Antiquities Coalition shows the destruction of cultural and historic heritage sites across the Middle East and Africa and plots the monuments still at risk from armed extremist groups in the region.

Culture Under Threat Map

The map was launched days after news broke that Iraq’s oldest Christian monastery, St. Elijah’s, was destroyed by the Islamic State (ISIS) militant group. The monastery is the latest significant site razed by group: Last year, ISIS looted and bulldozed the ancient Assyrian cities of Nimrud and Khorsabad as well as the Temple of Bel, a key structure in the ISIS-controlled city of Palmyra, in Syria.

The map includes nearly 700 heritage sites in 22 countries, including 230 that have been destroyed or damaged. Cultural heritage sites in Libya and Yemen are also at risk, according to the map. In countries such as Libya—where British war graves near Benghazi were destroyed by Islamic extremists in 2012—and Tunisia, much of the destruction took place before the rise of ISIS.

Now look at this map showing the various Muslim sects:

It seems that there is a pattern to where this destruction of the world's heritage is taking place and where it is being looked after.