![SYRIA-CONFLICT-ARCHAEOLOGY-PALMYRA-FILES A partial view of the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, Syria in 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/palmyra-isis-syria-6.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
By TIME Photo
After months of fierce fighting, the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) captured the town of Palmyra northeast of Syria’s capital Damascus on Thursday, leaving the group in control of more than half of the country’s territory—and raising fears among experts that its fighters will begin smashing spectacular ancient sites.
Read more: ISIS Must Be Stopped From Destroying Ancient City, U.N. Says
![SYRIA-CONFLICT-ARCHAEOLOGY-PALMYRA-FILES A partial view of the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, Syria in 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/palmyra-isis-syria-6.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![SYRIA-CONFLICT-ARCHAEOLOGY-PALMYRA-FILES SYRIA-CONFLICT-ARCHAEOLOGY-PALMYRA-FILES](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/palmyra-isis-syria-5.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![SYRIA-CONFLICT-ARCHAEOLOGY-PALMYRA Carvings on a wall in the courtyard of the sanctuary of Baal in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, Syria in 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/palmyra-isis-syria-4.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![SYRIA-CONFLICT-PALMYRA-HERITAGE The castle of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra on May 18, 2015, a day after ISIS militants fired rockets into the city and killing five people.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/palmyra-isis-syria-2.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![A general view of the old souk and the Victory gate is seen at the historical city of Palmyra A general view of the old souk and the Victory gate is seen at the historical city of Palmyra in 2010.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/palmyra-isis-syria-3.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![SYRIA-CONFLICT-ARCHAEOLOGY-PALMYRA A partial view of the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, Syria in 2014.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/palmyra-isis-syria-1.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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