Khaled al-Asaad
TL;DR: The archaeologist who was beheaded protecting the secrets of Palmyra.
The Guardian of Palmyra
Khaled al-Asaad spent 40 years as the head of antiquities for the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria. He dedicated his life to excavating and restoring the UNESCO World Heritage site. When ISIS militants advanced on the city in 2015, the 82-year-old scholar refused to leave. He stayed behind to ensure the most valuable artifacts were hidden and evacuated.
The Interrogation
ISIS captured al-Asaad and tortured him for a month. They wanted to know where the city's gold and hidden treasures were buried so they could sell them to fund their terror operations. Despite the brutal torture, the elderly historian refused to speak. He viewed the history of Syria as a treasure that belonged to humanity, not to thieves.
A Martyr for History
On August 18, 2015, ISIS publicly beheaded Khaled al-Asaad in the square of the museum he had curated for decades. His body was suspended from a Roman column. His sacrifice protected priceless cultural heritage that would otherwise have been lost forever. He is remembered as a martyr for art and history.
The World Without Him
Had Khaled al-Asaad revealed the locations of the artifacts, ISIS would have sold them on the black market, funding more weapons and terror attacks. Furthermore, invaluable pieces of human history would have disappeared into private collections, lost to science and the public forever. His silence preserved the cultural soul of Syria for future generations.
