In the mid first century Palmyra was one of Syria’s wealthiest and most elegant cities, grown so because of its spot on the caravan trade trails between Persia and the Mediterranean. Palmyra sprung up out of the desert around an oasis along the southern route to Damascus.

Up until at least 41BC the people of Palmyra were still largely nomadic and could move their valuables caravan like when attacked, but they had constructed funerary monuments, busts carved onto stone slabs, some arranged below ground in tombs. By the 7th Century the city was under the control of Muslim Arabs but in the 11th Century it was abandoned after an earthquake.

Today the city exists in ruins, gradually being unearthed by archaeologists, after being part covered by the warm, preserving sands of the desert. Pillars and marble blocks litter the top of the site, but the tombs underneath contain more interesting historical treasures. It's ruins are a unique and interesting blend of the Roman, Greek and Iranian styles.

Written by  World Reviewer Staff.

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