Feature: Colorful lights revive Syria's ancient city Palmyra, overcoming IS darkness

Colorful lights have started returning to the Roman amphitheater in Syria's Palmyra so that audience can listen to the fine art of opera.

It's the same theatre where the black-masked Islamic State (IS) militants used to spell the blood of Syrian soldiers and instill horror in the hearts of people and prepare them for more brutality.

Syria's Pearl of the Desert -- that is how people describe and call Palmyra, a site of 2,000-year-old ruins. The city earned this name, especially when it's lighten, making it a pearl glowing in the Syrian desert.

When the IS stormed the city in May 2015, fans and lovers of Palmyra sank into despair and their pain grew bigger with every news about a new IS bombing of city's priceless ancient monuments.

But when the Syrian army, backed by the Russian forces, succeeded to recapture the city and dislodge IS last March, hopes have gone high that the oasis city will return to be a mesmerizing attraction to intellectuals, antiquities lovers, and musicians.

The amphitheater was revived when the Russian Mariinsky orchestra played Thursday for the first time since the IS was defeated.

The concert, dubbed "With a Prayer for Palmyra," included Bach's Chaconne for solo Violin, a cello piece by Rodion Shchedrin and Sergei Prokofiev's First Symphony.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke via a video from Moscow to the audience on Thursday, greeting the extra and telling them that "the event is ... a sign of memory, hope and a sense of gratitude."

On Friday, the Syrian presidential palace organized a similar event performed by several Syrian orchestras.

"Gate of the Sun" was the name of the event that was held late on Friday at the Roman Amphitheater. It was held under the auspices of President Bashar al-Assad, and was a tribute to the Syrian martyrs who are commemorated on the 6th of May every year.

The Syrian National Symphony, the National Ensemble for Arabic Music, Mari Orchestra, and al-Farah Choir, or the Joy Choir, have once again revived the amphitheater of Palmyra with pieces glorifying the love of the homeland and stirring nostalgic feelings in Palmyra.

The participating groups performed musical pieces and songs for over two hours, beginning with an ode to martyrs, the Syrian National Anthem, a and funerary march by the Police, Army, and Armed Forces Band.

Present at the event were Syrian officials, such as Presidency Affairs Minister Mansour Azzam, Tourism Minister Bishr Yazigi, and Culture Minister Issam Khalil, as well as the Chinese ambassador to Syria. Some 1,500 people have also attended, according to the official SANA news agency.

Hatem Mhanna, one of the audience, told Xinhua that he was happy watching life and music being restored to the city.

"The musical instruments have replaced the killing machines of the IS, these colors have replaced their black flag and hearts," he said.

"We have a message to the world that this is our language, the language of culture, peace, history and music. This theatre was built for people to listen and immerse themselves in a heavenly experience, not made for a bunch of killers to show their brutality and bloodthirstiness," he said, referring to the infamous incident when the IS killed Syrian soldiers on the same stage.

The IS released a video of a mass slaughter of government soldiers in that amphitheater, showing condemned soldiers lined up on their knees on the stage, while their child executioners with pistols in hands standing behind them.

The IS' giant flag was hung on the center stage of that ancient monument, while a baying crowd of people were gathered in the amphitheater to watch the executions.

Now the crowds were not baying to see bloodshed, but to listen to the fine art of music with a mesmerizing, eye catching light show and white-dressed, angle-like musicians of the Mari Orchestra, the first only-women band in Syria.

Those who attended the show on Friday hoisted Syrian flags and bounced and cheered to the beats of the national songs.

Amal Samra, a member of the al-Farah Choir, believe the joy of music will help Palmyra fully recover.

"While it's really sad to see some of Palmyra's most valuable monuments have sustained damage and destruction, our hopes are high that we can bring joy to the city and help it to recover," she said.

Siham Daboseh, a woman in her 60s, said she knows Palmyra like the palm of her hand.

"I am in love with this place and I know every inch of it. I am sad for the destruction in some areas, but hopeful when I see that the rest of the city is intact," she said.

"Palmyra is a World Heritage so it's for all of the people, not only the Syrians, that's why people from all over the world must help in protecting this city and bring life to it," she said.

During its 10-month rule of the city, the IS had destroyed the Temple of Bel, which was dedicated to the Mesopotamian god Bel, who was worshipped at Palmyra in triad with the lunar god Aglibol and the sun god Yarhibol.

The temple formed the center of religious life in Palmyra and was inaugurated in 32 AD. Now, there is nothing left of the temple except its gate, standing still to tell the generations that there was a temple called Bel in the place.

Aside from Bal, another temple in Palmyra, Baalshamin, was totally destroyed, nothing left of it.

Baalshamin, whose earliest phase dates to the late second century, was one of the most complete ancient structures in Palmyra. In 1980, the UNESCO designated the temple as a World Heritage Site.

The IS destroyed Baalshamin on Aug. 23, 2015.

On May 23, 2015, IS militants partially destroyed the Lion of al-Lat and other statues. It became known on Sept. 4, 2015 when the IS destroyed three of the best preserved tower tombs including the Tower of Elahbel.

On Oct. 5, 2015, news media reported IS destroyed the Arch of Triumph.

Those were the hard-hit areas in Palmyra, but there are other areas, including the Roman amphitheater, which escaped the IS rule unscathed.

At the sideline of the Friday concert, Minister of Tourism Bishr Yazigi said that as the Syrian army brought Palmyra back to its historical context, the Syrian youth with their activities will return it to its humanitarian context.

Governor of Homs province Talal al-Barazi said that Syria will remain the country of love, peace, culture, civilization, and history. Endit