"Palmyra - تدمر (Tadmor)" Top 5 Page for this destination Palmyra by MM212

Palmyra Travel Guide: 236 reviews and 764 photos

Panoramic view of ancient Palmyra - Palmyra

Palmyra Panorama

Situated in the heart of the Syrian Desert, Palmyra contains one of the most impressive archaeological sites in the world. Tadmor, as it is known in Arabic, is Syria's crown jewel of tourist interests -- and there are many -- and a trip to Syria without a stop in Palmyra cannot but be considered incomplete.

The city owes its existence and historic significance to the natural water springs that irrigate its oasis. The location of the oasis in the middle of the unforgiving desert made Palmyra an indispensible stop along the desert caravan route. After the Romans conquered Syria in 41 BC, the trade route was diverted south through Palmyra from its traditional northerly route. With the caravans came wealth, prosperity and power to the citizens of Palmyra. For a while it was a rich independent buffer state between Rome and Persia, but it succumbed to Pax Romana in the 1st century AD and became part of the province of Syria. Following this came the period of greatest wealth and construction in Palmyra's history, as the city adopted Roman architecture while preserving its strong Semitic culture and tradition. In the 3rd century AD, the infamous Queen Zenobia of Palmyra challenged Rome's authority and attempted to create an independent Palmyrene empire in the eastern Mediterranean, but Rome defeated her and tightened their rule on the desert city. At this point, Palmyra's decline had begun as trade routes were once again disrupted, this time by the Sassanid Empire further east.

Palmyra's decline accelerated during the Byzantine period and after the arrival of Islam as trade routes shifted once again, but the great desert city left us with unmatched splendour to witness nearly two millennia later.

Syria itinerary in Dec 2006:

Damascus - Maaloula - Krak des Chevaliers - Homs - Palmyra/Tadmur - Hama - Apamea - Aleppo - Al Barah/Serjilla - Damascus

Pros and Cons

Pros:Incredible ruins in the middle of the desert
Cons:3+ hours of driving from any large city

Last visit to Palmyra: Dec 2006
Intro Updated Apr 7, 2012
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Reviews (33)

Dates Shopping (1)

Palmyra's oasis is full of date palm trees (hence the city's name) and produce commercial quantities of dates. In the... more travel advice

Palmyra's Ancient Ruins Nightlife (1)

Some of Palmyra's ruins are beautifully lit by night. Since access to the ancient city is free and open all night, it is... more travel advice

Camels Local Customs (2)

Camels are a common sight in Palmyra, being in the desert and all. They make good subjects for photographs. more travel advice

Desert Bedouins Local Customs (2)

Palmyra's natives are originally bedouin tribes linked to Arabia. Their traditions and Arabic dialect are quite... more travel advice

Things to Do (26)
See All Tadmor
Hotels (1)
Best view, not much more

Travelogues (3)

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Comments (5)

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Arkeolog May 26, 2010 at 5:43 AM

Thx for visiting my ISTANBUL page. Your PALMYRA page is full of nice tips and great photos. congrats. Bora
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mikelisaanna Oct 3, 2008 at 8:59 AM

Great Palmyra page and info. It looks like a fascinating place to visit.
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Luchonda Apr 26, 2008 at 7:30 AM

Great inviting page to visit Syria asap. Greetz from Belgium
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JLBG Oct 25, 2007 at 10:28 AM

Une page superbe sur ce site légendaire! Des photos superbes!
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norain Jan 6, 2007 at 8:07 AM

Hi. How was Syria trip? I just came back from Jordan as well...