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Homs Region, Page 2

Palmyra – Agora & Tariff Court
تدمر – الآغورا و قاعة الضرائب

The ancient city of Palmyra (تدمر) features an impressive agora (الآغورا), or public gathering place. While these were traditionally the center of political and social life in ancient cities, in Palmyra (تدمر) it developed a major commercial role, similar to a caravanserai. It was here that trading caravans would unload and exchange their goods, transforming the complex into a central marketplace. The area was first …

Palmyra – Baths
تدمر – الحمامات

While poorly preserved, the baths (الحمامات) of Palmyra (تدمر) offer some insight into the public amenities of this ancient city during the late Roman period. In 273, prior to their construction, Emperor Aurelian’s troops had inflicted major destruction upon the city in response to a Palmyrene rebellion against Roman rule. During the subsequent reign of Diocletian (284-305), several building projects were undertaken as part of …

Palmyra – Museum
تدمر – متحف

The modern town of Palmyra (تدمر), northeast of the ancient city, was first settled in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Prior to that, around 6,000 villagers lived among the ancient ruins. French administrators encouraged the local inhabitants to resettle to the modern town, and most had done so by 1932. The modern town’s museum (متحف) was founded in 1961, and contains a collection of …

Qalaat al-Hosn
قلعة الحصن

Qalaat al-Hosn (قلعة الحصن), more famously known as Krak des Chevaliers, is arguably the best preserved and most impressive Crusader castle surviving today. It is one of the highlights of a visit to Syria, and should be considered a must on any itinerary. The castle was been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2006. More details on this site will be added …

Deir Mar Jerjes
دير مار جرجس

Deir Mar Jerjes (دير مار جرجس) is a large Greek Orthodox monastery named after Saint George. It is located in Wadi al-Nasara (وادي النصارى‎), or “Valley of the Christians”, an area that includes several dozen Christian villages in the western countryside of Homs (حمص). The region has been a center for Greek Orthodox Christianity since the Byzantine period. The monastery was originally founded in the …

Qasr al-Heir al-Sharqi
قصر الحير الشرقي

Qasr al-Heir al-Sharqi (قصر الحير الشرقي) is remote desert palace complex dating to the late Umayyad period. Construction began in 728 under Hisham (هشام), the tenth Umayyad caliph. While it was once believed that the site had Roman or Byzantine origins, it appears more likely that stonework was transported from other locations by the Umayyads, or that they employed Christian craftsmen. The site may have …

al-Mishrafeh/Qatna
المشرفة/قطنا

al-Mishrafeh (المشرفة), the ancient city of Qatna (قطنا), is one of the largest Bronze Age sites in Syria. Located between the city of Homs (حمص) and the town of Salamiyeh (سلمية), excavations here have resulted in important discoveries in recent decades. French archaeologist Robert du Mesnil du Buisson first researched the site in the 1920s, uncovering parts of the royal palace, three gates, and several …