"Hama: City of Water Wheels" Hamah by iwys

Hama is a pretty city on the River Orontes, famous for its norias or water wheels. It is also a great base from which to explore some of Syria's major attractions, including the Dead Cities, the Roman city of Apamea, the Assassins' castle at Musyaf and the great Crusader castle of Crac des Chevaliers.

As well as its norias, Hama is also famous for the Hama Uprising. It was here that in 1982 the Muslim Brotherhood attempted a fundamentalist Islamic revolution. Three weeks of fierce fighting between the fanatical Brotherhood and the Syrian Army resulted in devastation of Hama's Old City and the deaths of between 10,000 and 25,000 people.

You still get the impression that by Syrian standards, this is a very conservative city.

Hama makes a great base for the independent traveller as it is a major public transport hub and has the best budget hotels in the country. It also has pleasant riverside gardens and restaurants.