Located about 230 km northeast of Damascus lies the ancient city of Palmyra, a great city over 2000 years ago, an important crossroads of trade and cultures between the Far East and the Mediterranean. Palmyra is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Syria where one could see the monumental ruins of a complete city and be brought face to face with the great achievements of past civilization. The magnificent remains showed the art and architecture influence of Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences. The guide, Najib, when enquired told us that the buildings were built during the reign of the great Queen Zenobia.
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The ruins, covering an area of about 6 square kilometers, include Baal-Shamin Temple, Bel Temple, Arch of Triumph, the Amphitheater, the Baths, the Straight Street, the Congress Council and the Cemeteries. There were not many tourists when we were there and was informed that January is considered a low tourist season for Palmyra due to winter. However, the weather was pleasant when we were there. We also met with a group of Malaysians that were on their way to Palmyra when we stopped for coffee at one of the Baghdad Café along the highway. The highway, from Adra to Palmyra, was practically void of traffic with the exception of the occasional trucks and tourists buses. The whole trip, including the drive, takes more than 12 hours, from 8 am to 7 pm.
After visiting Petra in Jordan and Palmyra in Syria, both stands out with its own unique features. To me the main difference between the two is that in Petra, the ruins are actually carved out of mountains while those in Palmyra are built on flat land. Furthermore, Palmyra showcased an actual city in existence which one could easily visualize within the 6 km area.
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