Palmyra, Necropolis #7, 2010
War in Syria has irrevocably changed the ancient caravan city of Palmyra, famed as a meeting place of civilizations since its apogee in the mid-2nd to 3rd century CE. The Romans and Parthians knew Palmyra as a wealthy oasis metropolis, a center of culture and trade on the edge of their empires. For centuries, traveling artists and explorers have documented the site in former states of preservation.
Ursula Schulz-Dornburg’s Palmyra series will be featured in the J. Paul Getty Museum online exhibition The Legacy of Ancient Palmyra, as it captures the site as it was photographed for the first time by Louis Vignes in 1864 and illustrated in the 18th century by the architect Louis-François Cassas. These works contribute to Palmyra’s legacy, one that goes far beyond the stones of its once great buildings.
The exhibition is now live on the website until May 30, 2017.