Palmyra: The Desert Jewel and Queen Zenobia's City — Visitor Guide

In the middle of the Syrian steppe, where you expect nothing but sand, an oasis of palms appears, surrounded by a forest of golden stone columns. This is Palmyra — Tadmur in Arabic — one of the most famous ancient cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980.

A city built by caravans

Palmyra grew rich because it was the stop every caravan between the Gulf, Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean had to make. That trade paid for its temples and colonnaded streets and produced a unique mix of art: Graeco-Roman columns, eastern dress and carving, and its own Palmyrene Aramaic language.

Zenobia, the queen who defied Rome

In the third century AD Queen Zenobia ruled Palmyra, pushed its power into Egypt and parts of Anatolia and broke with Rome. The emperor Aurelian defeated her in 272 and took her to Rome. In Syrian memory she remains a symbol of pride and intelligence — read about the women who shaped Syria's history. Centuries later, in the nineteenth century, Jane Digby, the English lady who found love in the desert, travelled here too.

What to see

• The Great Colonnade, the main street with its tall columns.
• The Roman theatre, small and beautiful.
• The Valley of the Tombs: funerary towers and underground tombs of Palmyra's wealthy families.
• The Fakhr al-Din al-Maani castle on the hill, with the best sunset view over the ruins.
• The Temple of Bel, once the city's greatest temple; large parts were destroyed in 2015. Its gateway and some walls remain.

Getting there

Palmyra is about 160 km east of Homs and about 240 km from Damascus. It is a long desert road: set off early in a car with a driver who knows it, and return before dark or stay overnight if suitable lodging is available. Many combine it with Krak des Chevaliers and Homs in a two-day trip.

UNESCO

Since 1980

From Homs

About 160 km

Best time

Spring and autumn, early morning

Bring

Water, a hat, good shoes