Apamea was an important city in the Orontes Valley. It was founded by Seleucus I Nicator in the early 3rd century BCE. The city passed into Roman control in 64 BCE and underwent significant rebuilding and enlargement during the reigns of Trajan and Marcus Aurlius in the 2nd century CE. It became the capital of Syria Secunda in the early 5th century CE. In the 7th century the city passed into Islamic control, and was eventually captured by the Crusaders. A major earthquake in 1157 levelled the city. The site was studied by teams of Syrian and Belgian archaeologists, but suffered great damage during the Syrian Civil War in the early 2000s.