Photos show the ruins of Palmyra, the ancient splendor in Syria that endures through war and time

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PALMYRA, Syria (AP) — The stately remnants of 2,000-year-old columns and temples rise from the sand in the ancient city of Palmyra, known to locals as the “Bride of the Desert.”

Once the capital of a Roman client state under Queen Zenobia, Palmyra stood as a key hub on the Silk Road linking Rome and Asia.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, ravaged during Syria’s civil war and heavily damaged by Islamic State group militants, still endures.

At night, the ruins stand silhouetted beneath a sky filled with countless stars, just as they did when the city first flourished.