The Ancient City of PalmyraCategory : Architecture, HistoryDate : 12 August 2024
The Ancient City of Palmyra
City of Palms
The ancient city of Palmyra is known as both the “bride” and the “pearl” of the desert. This monumental 2000 year old multicultural merchant city was long considered the crossroads of civilizations, and one of the most important ancient cities in the world.
It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, now in the centre of modern Syria. The name Palmyra is believed to be the Latinized form of the original Arabic name of Tadmur, which is related to the word for date palm.
The City of Palms was built around a lush oasis in the Syrian desert, lying approximately halfway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Euphrates River. It stood along the silk routes, where merchants traveled between Europe and Asia. Archaeological finds from Palmyra date back to the Neolithic period, and it is mentioned in tablets dating from as early as the 19th century BCE.
Palmyra began as a Mesopotamian settlement, and was controlled by the Arameans from the second millennium BCE, before the Arabic people arrived in the first millennium BCE. The Arabs assimilated with the city’s existing population and are said to have spoken the local dialect of Palmyrene. There was also a significant Jewish population in Palmyra.
We have a blog post on the renowned Syrian artist Ahmad Madoun, who was born in the region of Palmyra, and inspired by her magnificence and beauty.