Palmyra: A Brief History

If you thought that there is hardly anything of interest in the desert

, then visit the Syrian city of Palmyra. The desert is not all about sand and sun, although these have their own kinds of attractions, instead of things to be dreaded. Palmyra was an ancient city whose magnificence you will clearly see from its ruins.

Some of the first things that will get your attention are the columns of the pillars of the ancient city, which resemble an army standing at attention for a guard of honor. The pillars are the remnants of the ancient Roman city with a great history behind it. The resilience and appearance of the pillars seem to symbolize the historic reign of Queen Zenobia.

Palmyra is a unique city in the middle of the dessert, which seems to be cut off from the rest of the world. Sand spanning for about 100 kilometers separate it from the Valley of Orontes on the western side. Towards the east, the sand stretches for more than 200 kilometers before ending at the banks of the great Euphrates river. You will barely see any other things apart from the sand and ominous stones when you take both the northern and southern directions.

Therefore, you may think that Palmyra is a desolate place that does not merit a visit. However, one of the unique things is that there is a spring that comes from an underground channel here, which is called Afqa (Ephka). This is an Aramaic word that translates to 'way out'. The spring has given man, beast and animals a fresh breath of life at the heart of the desert. The clear blue water is a bit sulfurous and is believed to have healing properties. The depth of the channel from where the spring originates is not yet known.

Emperor Caracalla declared Palmyra a Roman colony in 217, something that the merchants loved because they no longer had to pay taxes. The booming business made the city progress quickly. Columns were built along the streets, which had numerous inscriptions in honor of different people, ranging from merchants to magistrates.

There were many events over the years, but among the most significant was the murder of King Odenathus, whose great skills had earned a special favor with the Romans. Towards the end of 267, the king was assassinated mysteriously, and it was believed that his second wife, Zenobia, had something to do with it.

The Queen established herself as a great monarch, whose ambitions for herself and her young son were clearly evident. She had a great blend of beauty and skill, which enabled her to astonish people from far and wide with her rule. Unfortunately, her great ambition led to her downfall and that of the entire city.

In 270, Queen Zenobia tried to conquer the entire country, up to Lower Egypt and all the way to Asia Minor. She even titled herself as 'august', something that was only reserved for the Roman emperor. She even had money coined having her own impression and that of her son.

The Romans were fast and furious, eventually capturing her although she had fled. She was taken to Rome, where she starved to death. The pillars are among the remains of the city she had built.

by: Archie Blazer

POST COMMENT

How To Re-purpose Your Articles The Right Way Introductory Guide to Facebook Places Emmitt Runs To History History of Ink Lenovo ThinkPad T61 NI29YTK Notebook Overview MacBook MB466LL/A ( Z0FUQ ) Notebook From Apple Compaq 2710P-RU544EA Notebook From HP Lenovo 3000 Series V200 569D922 Notebook Overview Follow These Steps If You Want Your Articles To Be Read BASIC KNOWLEDGE ABOUT JEWELRY Can You Blame Facebook For Your Divorce? Karlovy Vary Elite Czech Spa with Royal History Free of charge Unrestricted Vastly-Under attack, Lone-Method Backlinks By Top Article Submission