page_title: Lion of Al-lāt
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Lion of Al-lāt / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Damascus Museum Lion
context_page_description: The Lion of Al-lāt is an ancient statue that adorned the Temple of Al-Lat in Palmyra, Syria. On 27 June 2015, it was severely damaged by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant after it had captured Palmyra. The statue was removed to the National Museum of Damascus and underwent reconstruction work, and now stands again.
context_section_description: The statue was discovered in 1977 by a group of Polish archeologists working under Prof. Michał Gawlikowski. It was
  found in pieces, having been reused in antiquity for the temple's foundation. Subsequently, it was decided to reassemble the pieces in front of the entrance to the Palmyra Museum. The task was undertaken by restorer Józef Gazy. In 2005, it underwent restoration to eliminate problems from assemblage. Ultimately, the piece was restored in imitation of its original intended appearance – a relief jumping out from a wall. During the Syrian Civil War the statue was shielded with a metal plate and sandbags to protect it from fighting.
  On 27 June 2015, it was severely damaged by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant after it had captured Palmyra. After the liberation of Palmyra by the Syrian army, Syria's director-general of antiquities and museums Maamoun Abdulkarim declared that the pieces were still in place and it should be possible to put them back together, giving hopes for reconstruction. The statue was moved to Damascus in 2016, where it underwent complete restoration. On 1 October 2017, it was fully restored, and is currently on display in the National Museum of Damascus, until safety is assured in Palmyra to move it there again.
caption: The statue before 2005 restoration.
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