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In
the middle of the Syrian Desert is without doubt the most beautiful and
magnificent of the Syrian historic sites, Palmyra. This Arab commercial
metropolis, which has now turned pink with age, used to be on the old Silk
Road.
Palmyra History :
Called Tadmor by the Arabs, Palmyra appeared for the first time in the 2nd
millennium BC in the archives of Mari and in an Assyrian text. It was also
mentioned in the Bible as a part of Solomon's territory.
The
Seleucids practically ignored Tadmor and it became independent. It
flourished through trade with Persia, the Indian subcontinent and the
Arabian Peninsula. In 41 BC it had become rich enough to attract the
Romans and Anthony attempted to occupy it but failed because of the
Palmyreans escaping to the other side of the Euphrates
It was fully occupied by the Romans under Tiberius, Augustus' successor
and was integrated into the Province of Syria between 14-37 AD. During the
next 100 years of Roman rule Palmyra prospered greatly as a trade route
linking the East Asian empires of Persia, India, China, and the Parthians
who were Rome's enemy for a long time. They managed this by keeping good
ties with both the Romans and the Parthians. In 129 AD Hadrian visited
Palmyra and was quite enthralled by it and named it Palmyra Hadriana and
proclaimed it a free city. In 212 AD Palmyra was considered as a colony of
the Roman Empire and Palmyra took a higher military role and caravan trade
diminished. Trade diminished even more when the Sassanians took over and
occupied the mouth to the Tigris and Euphrates.
The
leader Septimus Odeinat (Odenathus) became quite favored by Rome and in
256/7 was appointed by the Emperor Valerian as Consul and Governor of the
province of Syria Phoenice which Palmyra had been transferred to in 194. A
few years later Valerian was captured and murdered by the Sassanian
Persians, and in redemption Odeinat campaigned as far as the Sassanian
capital Ctesiphon.
Palmyra's
greatest days however were after the murder of Odeinat, when his wife
Zenobia started ruling Palmyra on behalf of her son Vaballath. Zenobia
with the help of her Prime Minister Longinus extended Palmyrean power to
the west and took over Bosra and occupied as far as Egypt (269-270), then
she headed for the north and attempted to take Antioch. This sudden
expansion posed a threat for the Romans, and after two years in 272 of
being flexible Aurelian retaliated and took back Antioch then Emesa (Homs)
and then Palmyra itself. Zenobia tried to escape but was captured and was
taken back to Rome as a prisoner.
After
this Rome kept a close eye on Palmyra and it was forced to become a
military area and let go of its reputation as a trade center. It was
expanded under emperor Diocletian to harbor Roman legions and it was
walled in defense from the Sassanian threat.
Later
in the Byzantine period a few churches were built and added to the much
ruined city. It was then taken by the Arabs under Khalid Ibn Al Walid who
was leader of the Arab army under the Caliph Abu Bakr. It played a minor
defensive role during the Islamic periods although the Umayyads built the
two Qasr Al Heirs. Later Temple of Bel was fortified and the Arab Castle
of Fakhredin Al Maany was built. Since then it has had no major roles and
the ruins have fallen victim to natural erosion.
Palmyra Hotels : (select from list)
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