Palmyra - Syria's jewel

Yesterday we spent exploring the ruins of Palmyra. The ruins are set stunningly in desert that hasn’t seen rain for six years yet it is flanked on one side by a lush date palm oasis and overlooked by a majestic mountain-top castle and the whole surrounding area is populated by the incredibly hospitable Bedouin people. The ruins date primarily from the 2nd century AD (though the site itself is believed to go back at least to the 2nd millennium BC) and cover about 50 hectares. Despite the fact that it has been extensively excavated for some time new finds are regularly made. The town was created as a staging post for caravans travelling between the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia and Arabia as well as on the Silk Road between China, India and Europe.

The city reached its peak around 267-271 AD under Queen Zenobia who was thought to be descended from Cleopatra and said to equal her beauty and surpass her in valour and chastity! As Palmyra’s queen she oversaw the conquering of Syria, Palestine and part of Egypt and declared independence from Rome. After initially defeating the Romans, Palmyra fell and Zenobia was captured and paraded in Rome in gold chains. She was later released however and married a Roman senator. Palmyra however never recovered and went into terminal decline.

We got up early to beat the crowds. Wandering around the stunning city’s remains just after dawn is truly breath-taking. It’s easy to see why it is Syria’s star tourist attraction. From the wonderfully picturesque colonnaded avenue with its ornate monumental arch and the incredible Bel temple (dedicated to the highest Palmyran god, Bel, the Zeus of their world) we wandered through the beautiful remains of temples, bath houses, banqueting halls, public meeting spaces, tombs, towers and finally the hilltop castle. There is plenty to explore and by evening we were tired but amazed at the beauty and history of this special place (we did admittedly take a siesta in the middle of the day!). We tucked into a hearty Bedouin dinner of rice, meat and yoghurt named Mansaf, followed by a couple of nightcaps in one of the small cafes where we unwound and played cards for a couple of hours. A very nice day!

- David