Palmyra

Palmyra, rising from an oasis deep in the Syrian desert, was one of the greatest cities of the ancient world, a fabulously wealthy caravan hub linking Rome and the East, and its ruins are among the most spectacular classical sites on earth. Long known as the Bride of the Desert, this UNESCO World Heritage site spreads a panorama of honey-coloured colonnaded avenues, temple ruins, a grand theatre and elaborate tower tombs across the sands, framed by palm groves and desert hills. Ruled in its glory by the legendary Queen Zenobia, Palmyra remains an unforgettable vision of ancient grandeur amid the vastness of the desert.

History

Neolithic settlers lived by the Efqa spring as early as 7500 BC, a mud-brick building of about 2500 BC lies under the Temple of Bel, and the town enters history around 2000 BC as Tadmor, a name usually linked to the date palm. It came under Rome in the 1st century AD and grew rich on caravan trade, its merchants founding colonies along the Silk Road, and it built the Great Colonnade, the tower tombs and the Temple of Bel, dedicated in AD 32; the emperor Aurelian levelled the city in 273, and Diocletian restored it on a smaller scale. The Islamic State held Palmyra from May 2015 to March 2016 and again from December 2016 to March 2017, destroying large parts of the ancient city, among them the Temple of Bel and the Monumental Arch, and damaging the Tetrapylon (Wikipedia, Palmyra).

What's there

• The Great Colonnade - the grand honey-coloured colonnaded avenue.
• The site of the Temple of Bel - dedicated in AD 32 and destroyed by the Islamic State in 2015.
• The theatre and the Tetrapylon - the Roman theatre and the Tetrapylon at the crossing of the main street, built under Diocletian and damaged by the Islamic State in 2017; the Monumental Arch was lost in 2015.
• The tower tombs - the elaborate tombs in the Valley of Tombs.

When to go

October to April, the cooler months, are far more comfortable in the desert than the fierce summer heat, ideal for exploring the vast site on foot, with the golden ruins especially beautiful in the low light of early morning and late afternoon. Winter days here are mild and clear.

Before you go

The Islamic State, which held Palmyra from May 2015 to March 2016 and again from December 2016 to March 2017, destroyed the Temple of Bel and the Monumental Arch and damaged the Tetrapylon, so parts of the site are diminished from their former glory, and it lies remote in the central desert. As the majestic Bride of the Desert, a UNESCO World Heritage caravan city of golden colonnades and temples amid the sands, though, Palmyra remains one of the most spectacular and evocative classical sites in the world.

Nearby

The oasis town of Tadmur and the surrounding desert lie around the ruins.

Key facts