Sanaa condemns bombing of Virgin Mary Dome in Dhalea

SANAA, July 02 (YPA) – The Sanaa-based General Authority for Antiquities and Museums strongly condemned on Tuesday the bombing of the ancient Dome of the Virgin Mary, located in the Al-Sharifa area of coalition forces-held Dhalea province, south of Yemen.

The Authority affirmed in a statement that the dome was not a place of worship, but rather an archaeological landmark housing graves dating back hundreds of years.

The statement said that the Dome was constituted a rare architectural masterpiece and a historical symbol.

It called on international organizations concerned with the protection of human heritage to assume their responsibilities regarding the systematic targeting and deliberate destruction of Yemeni heritage, considering that such acts a crime against Yemeni history and civilization.

The statement warned that the continued silence of the international community regarding these violations encourages further tampering with Yemen’s cultural and human heritage, calling for those responsible for this criminal act to be held accountable.

AA