Palmyra, Syria

Palmyra (or Tadmor in Arabic) lies in the heart of Syrian Desert, and is often described as the bride of the desert. Its magnificent remains hint at a heroic history during the reign of Queen Zenobia.

The Oasis, as Palmyra is sometimes called, is located near a hot-water spring called Afqa, which made it an ideal stop for caravans moving between Iraq and Al-Sham (present day Syria, Lebanon, Holy Land and Jordan), trading in silk from China to the Mediterranean. This strategic location made Palmyra prosper as a kingdom from the 2nd century BC.

After the Romans conquered Syria, Palmyra flourished and became known as the city of palm-trees. When Emperor Adrian visited Palmyra, he declared it a free city; in return, people of Palmyra gratefully renamed their city Adrianapalmyra.

Rome’s Severus emperors, who were originally Syrian, came to rule Palmyra, and treated its people well. Emperor Caracalla declared it a Roman colony, which ushered in new streets, arches, temples and statues, making Palmyra one of the greatest cities of the Roman empire.

When conflict between Persia and Rome reached its crisis, Rome called on the ruler of Palmyra for help. This ruler, Auzaina, managed to withstand Persian armies, which led Romans to call him ‘leader of East’. But he was soon assassinated in mysterious circumstances, and his second wife, Queen Zenobia, a woman renowned for her iron will, took power.

Zenobia ruled Palmyra in a way that astonished both West and East. She was exceptionally intelligent and attractive, a gifted linguist, and spoke Palmyrian, Greek and Egyptian eloquently.

Queen Zenobia decided to usurp the Roman domination. In 268AD, during the reign of Emperor Aurelian, she decided to conquer all of Rome's territories. With Aurelian preoccupied with internal conflicts and external wars, Queen Zenobia was able to annexe the whole of Syria, conquer Egypt and send armies to Asia Minor - gaining control of all land and sea ways to the Far East. She took the title of August, which was until then only used by the emperor of Rome.

However, Emperor Aurelian took quick revenge. He formed a new army which proceeded through Turkey to conquer Zenobia's army in their first defensive position in Homs. The Romans besieged Palmyra until it fell in 274. Queen Zenobia was defeated, taken captive and forcibly relocated to Rome. Fettered by chains of gold, she poisoned herself.

The destiny of the great kingdom of Palmyra was no better than that of its queen; the city fell prey to looting and destruction. Archaeologists are still working on excavations here in order to uncover the queen's palace, which was destroyed by Romans and replaced by a military camp. Queen Zenobia's ambitious dream is still embodied in the magnificent remains of what she built. Palmyra’s ruins, which covers an area of 6 square kilometers, require a mimimum full day visit to take in the beauty of the remaining architecture such as Baal-Shamin temple, bel temple, arch of triumph, the amphitheater, the baths, the straight street, the congress council and the cemeteries.