Palmyra, Tadmor

Syria/Eastern Mountains

Tadmor

34.5628 , 38.2803

Roman, Early Roman, Mi...

Palmyra, Tadmor in Arabic, A great caravan city situated at an oasis famous for its magnificent temples and streets. Settled as early as the 2nd millennium based upon cuneiform texts in the Mari archives. The great Temple of Bel was dedicated in 32 CE with significant additions during the 1st and 2nd centuries. The city reached the pinnacle of its prosperity in the 2nd century CE and was visited by Emperor Hadrian in 129 when he renamed it Palmyra Hadriana. It was declared a Roman colony (Colonia) in 212. In 267/8 the Queen of Palmyra, Zenobia, led her army in revolt against Rome, but this was quickly suppressed by the emperor Aurelian's capture of the city and its queen. The city expanded during the reign of Diocletian (284-305). Under Justinian (527-565) the city's walls were strengthened and churches built. The city declined during the Early Islamic Period though retained limited regional importance until the Ottoman Period. The city has been investigated by teams of Syrian and Polish archaeologists. Both the site and museum were badly damaged by ISIS fighters during the Syrian Civil War.