A UN report using satellite imagery has found that nearly 300 sites of incalculable value for Syrian and human history have been destroyed, damaged or looted in the country’s more than three-year-old civil war.

From ancient markets to world-famous mosques and Crusader castles, Syria is home to countless treasures that stretch back to the dawn of civilization.

But since the country's brutal war erupted in 2011, heritage sites have been plundered by all sides -- regime loyalists, rebel forces, jihadist fighters and even desperate residents.

Using commercially available satellite images, the UN’s training and research arm (UNITAR) found that 24 sites were completely destroyed, 189 severely or moderately damaged and a further 77 possibly damaged.

FRANCE 24