Until the Syrian conflict in 2011, the old city of Palmyra was one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Middle East, with 105,000 visitors per year.
The site which is part of UNESCO’s heritage is constituted of old structures such as the famous Temple of Bel, the Arch of Triumph and four cemeteries, which were carefully preserved.
Due to the numerous conflicts in the region and terrorist actions of the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS), many buildings and old statues of the historic site were destroyed.
That’s why restoration experts are committed to preserve what remains of Palmyra. Thanks to 3D printing, they were able to fix damaged busts and recreate destroyed buildings and monuments.
They used a 3D printer to produce the busts’ missing parts. Those 3D printed parts were then attached to the originals using magnets.
The structures of Palmyra’s benchmarks were exhibited in Trafalgar Square in London, Times Square in New York and elsewhere.
After the 3D printing project, experts plan to send the busts in a museum in Damascus, Syria.
With the increasing evolution of 3D modelling and 3D printing techniques, organizations in charge of the preservation and restoration of art objects and historical monuments have new solutions to immortalize scarce works.