In recent months, the terrorist group Islamic State has destroyed some of most significant historical and archaeological sites in Iraq and Syria.
Some of the ravaged antiquities and cultural monuments date back thousands of years. They include UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as castles and temples.
The stakes were raised in May when Islamic State captured Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, known for its Roman colonnades and burial site and considered to be one of the world's most precious architectural treasures.
Last month, the militants used explosives to blow up Palmyra's Baalshamin Temple, believed to date to the 1st century.