While we were staying in Damascus, we took a day trip to Palmyra. It is an amazing place that is out in the middle of no where, and it is so hot! I was smart enough to wear jeans and a sweater. Ah! Well they can't complain that I wasn't dressed appropriately:)
Palmyra was an Assyrian caravan town for over 1000 years and was later annexed by Rome in AD 214. The city's most famous character was Zenobia (the 1/2 Greek 1/2 Arab Queen) who claimed to be a descendant from Cleopatra. She ruled Palmyra in 267 after the suspicious death of her husband. She later lost power to the Romans then the Muslims conquered the area and then it was ultimately destroyed by an earthquake.
The site is well preserved and is full of never ending columns. Inside the area there is the Temple of Bel which dates back to 32 AD. It is the most preserved temple in the area and the passage way for sacrificial animals is clearly seen. Yuck. I'm glad that blood eventually goes away!
The ottoman governor also built a huge residence inside the columns along with a theater and a small shrine dedicated the god Baal Shamin (God of storm and fertilizing rains).
Outside the premises there are large towers. My friends and I thought they were watch towers but it turns out that they are burial chambers. The towers actually keep cool in the heat and have several niches to stack the dead bodies. One famous tower was called the "Hypogeum of the three brothers" The colors inside the chambers are still intact and there are beautiful frescoes of Greek gods.
http://www.made-in-syria.com/palmyra.html
After touring, we jumped on a bus and rode it for 3 hours, returned to Damascus where we hopped on a second bus and traveled to Aleppo.
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