Ancient Theatre of Dreams. In the south-east of Syria, the ancient Roman city of Bosra was briefly a Nabatean capital before becoming the prosperous and powerful capital of the Roman province of Syria. Their black basalt usage, which is found throughout the area known as the Horan region of Syria, distinguishes the masonry of the…
Outstanding Crusader castle Krak des Chevaliers (Crac des Chevaliers) was largely built by the Christian Knights Hospitaller (Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem) who occupied it around the 12th century. The strategically positioned crusader castle lies on a volcanic crater with a view of Homs gap which gave access to the Mediterranean coast and…
Bride of the desert An oasis in the Syrian desert, Palmyra was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. From the 1st to the 2nd century AD, the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilisations, married Greek-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences. Palmyra prospered…
The majestic Hellenistic ancient city of Apamea is in the Orontes Valley, west-central Syria. Apamea was founded by Alexander the Great, who had named it Pella after his own hometown and birthplace in the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. After the death of Alexander (323 BCE), his vast empire was divided amongst his Generals and…