They are the rubble-strewn relics of a forgotten age of bustling prosperity: a mosque, a minaret, a hospital and a marketplace. Now in ruins, they have been destroyed by a war that is not only killing generations of Syrians but also history itself. And as these before and after pictures show, a heritage built over more than 5,000 years is being slowly buried under rubble. The ancient Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo was once an imposing testament to ancient Syrian architecture, and said to be home to the remains of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Imposing: The ancient Umayyad Mosque of Aleppo was once an imposing testament to ancient Syrian architecture, and said to be home to the remains of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist
@highlight
Images show once bustling centres of commerce and culture now lying silent
@highlight
They include Aleppo's ancient Umayyad Mosque and Souq Bab Antakya
@highlight
A once state of the art hospital is now a shell and a key minaret ruined
@highlight
Meanwhile, US restarts deliveries of nonlethal aid to the Syrian opposition
@highlight
But rebels say no aid is reaching the besieged city of Homs
The @placeholder government team reportedly presented a 'declaration of principles' that did not mention transfer of power, before it was rejected by the opposition.