Roger Smith
Associate University Librarian Scholarly Resources and Services
University of California San Diego
Scott McAvoy
Digital Media Lab Coordinator
University of California San Diego
Destroyed in 2015 during the Syrian civil war, the Temple of Bel has been called the most important temple in the entire Middle East (along with Lebanon’s Baalbek) and served as one of the best-preserved examples of ancient art and architecture, attracting more than 150,000 tourists annually. Through the use of more than 3,000 publicly available digital photographs taken over the course of a decade, the library has successfully recreated the structure using Pointcloud, an online viewing platform. This case is a microcosm for the changing uses of archives and the importance of the library role in closing the gaps between research, visualization, analysis, and preservation.
https://pointcloud.ucsd.edu/Palmyra_Temple_of_Bel.html https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/destroyed-ancient-temple-now-open-virtual-exploration
