A picture taken on March 14, 2014 shows the monumental entrance (R), which was reconstructed after 1963 by Syrian Directorate of Antiquities, of the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, 215 kilometres northeast of Damascus. From the 1st to the 2nd century, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences. AFP PHOTO/JOSEPH EID