The wonders of the universe played out against a magical backdrop in Syria this week.

A time-lapse from the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra shows a Milky Way dancing its way across a star-studded sky.

The footage was filmed in the early hours of August 27 and 28.

Palmyra is one of six Syrian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List that suffered varying degrees of damage during the deadly years-long war.

It was renowned for its 2,000-year-old Roman-era ruins and was dubbed the “Bride of the Desert”.

It once was the capital of an Arab client state of the Roman Empire that briefly rebelled and carved out its own kingdom in the third century.

And it was a key hub to the ancient Silk Road network linking the Roman and Parthian empires to Asia.

But in more recent times, the area had darker associations.

It was home to Tadmur prison, where thousands of opponents of the Assad family’s rule in Syria were reportedly tortured.

The Islamic State group demolished the prison after capturing the town.

IS militants later destroyed Palmyra’s historic temples of Bel and Baalshamin and the Arch of Triumph, viewing them as monuments to idolatry.

Before the country’s deadly conflict, Palmyra attracted some 150,000 visitors monthly, according to local experts.

Syria’s interim authorities and conservationists hope that its historical and cultural significance will bring back international tourists.

AP video by Ghaith Alsayed