ISIS has destroyed the “most important temple in Syria,” according to reports

For nearly 2,000 years -- back to the days when Christ walked the earth -- the Temple of Bel has been the center of religious life in the Syrian city of Palmyra.

But now, at least part of the temple, the most historically significant temple in the Palmyra, has been destroyed by ISIS, according to a UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is quoting "private sources."

Syria's antiquities chief told CNN on Monday that officials were working to confirm the reports with sources in the city. Maamoun Abdulakarim decribed the Temple of Bel as "the most important temple in Syria -- and of the most important in the whole Middle East."

'Meeting point' between Classical, Eastern architecture

"We are waiting for details on the truth of what occurred, the exact location inside the temple, and the size of the destruction," Abdulakarim said.

The 1st Century temple, which is dedicated to the ancient "god of gods," is one of the largest and best-preserved in the region and represents a meeting point between Classical and Eastern architecture, Abdulkarim said.

(CNN)