Hotels in Palmyra Syria -Palmyra Syria Hotels - فنادق تدمر في سوريا

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Hotels 5*
Tadmora Hotel 5*....(more details and special rates)	Semiramis Hotel Palmyra 5* The hotel's well appointed bedrooms and suites provide unmatched luxury equipped with latest facilities to suit even the most discerning of tastes. Semiramis hotel is conveniently situated in the heart of Damascus. Stately stroll to commercial sites, museums, monuments, shopping and, entertainment district.......From 130$ per room....(more details and special rates)
Dedeman Hotel 5* This five stars oasis has 250 luxurious guest rooms and suites. 2 restaurants, a lobby bar and the "Oasis" discotheque. Banquet and meeting facilities for 8 up to 400 guests. Large outdoor swimming pool, children pool, tennis courts. Business center, shopping arcade. Underground and outdoor parking. Ancient cave bath with sulfuric waters.......From 140$ per room......(more details and special rates)
Hotels 4*
Zenobia Cham Palace Hotel 4* Located in the archaelogical park of Palmyra, the hotel was built since 1930, few meter from Baalshamin temple, offering a unique and breathtaking view on the ruins. It consists of 130 rooms and suites, one Zenobia restaurant, a magnificent terraces overlooking the great colonnade and the Necropolis, In addition to a playground. .......From 85 euros  per room.....(more details and special rates)
Hotels 3*
Heliopolis Hotel 3* Stay in the Hotels in Syria and explore the ruins and other historical places. Heliopolis Hotel is one of the finest Hotels in Palmyra in Syria catering to all kind of tourists, whether the purpose of visit is business or pleasure. .....From 70$ per room.......(more details and special rates)	Zenobia Cham Palace Oasis 3*.........From 85 euros per room............(more details and special rates)
Tetrapylon Hotel 3* Tetrapylon hotel is situated at the main square near the museum and the Municipality, at a walking distance from the ancient walls of the historical ruins. A modern structure of five floors, Tetrapylon hotel offers 3 stars hotel services with a total of 26 air conditioned rooms with private bathrooms, mini bar, TV and satellite services........From 60$ per room.....(more details and special rates)	Orient Hotel  3* Air-conditioning/heating Bathroom Multi-channel satellite TV Wake up call IDD Mini bar 24 hour room service Fax service Laundry Elevator Internet service Restaurant Bar.....From 65$ per room.....(more details and special rates)
Tower Hotel  3*.......From 55$ per room.........(more details and special rates)	Sands Hotel  3* Spacious rooms and suits, fully furnished and equipped with all modern equipments, including private bath, central air conditioning, satellite TV, direct phone. Bar. Fax and internet services. Private Parking. ....From 75$ per room...(more details and special rates)
Middle East Hotel 3* .......(more details and special rates)
Hotels 2*
Palace Hotel  2*........From 55$ per room............(more details and special rates)	Ishtar Hotel  2*........From 55$ per room............(more details and special rates)

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About Palmyra

Palmyra is in the heart of the Syrian desert, and is often described as 'the bride of the desert'. Its magnificent remains tell of a heroic history during the reign of Queen Zenobia.

The 'oasis' as it sometimes called, is located near a hot-water spring called Afqa. It was mentioned in one of the Assyrian tablets of the 20th century B.C. It was also mentioned in the tablets of Mari. Palmyra was an ideal halt for the caravans moving between Iraq and al-Sham (present-day Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan), trading in silk from China to the Mediterranean.

Palmyra lies 210 km northeast of Damascus and 155 km east of Homs. A tour among the ruins, which cover an area of 6 sq. km, requires a full day in order to form an adequate idea of the beauty of the architectures which has remained. Worth visiting are the Baal temple, the Arch of Triumph, the amphitheatre, the baths, the 'Straight Street', the Congress Council and the Cemeteries.

History

Palmyra (Παλμυρα) is the Greek name for the city, a translation of its original Aramaic name, Tadmor, which means "palm tree." Today, Tadmor (in Arabic تدمر) is the name of a small city of about 36,000 next to the ruins, which is heavily dependent on tourism.

The city is mentioned in tablets dating from as early as the 19th century BC, when it was a trading city in the extensive trade network that linked Mesopotamia and northern Syria.

Palmyra appears in the Bible (II Chronicles 8.4) as a desert city fortified by Solomon. (There is a mention of a city of Tamar in I Kings 9.18, also fortified by Solomon, which may refer to Tadmor but could also be a place near the Dead Sea.) Tadmor is also mentioned by Josephus (Antiquities, Book VIII) along with the Greek name of Palmyra, as a city built by Solomon.

Tadmor began to attain prominence in the 3rd century BC, when a road through it became one of the main routes of east-west trade. It was built on an oasis lying approximately halfway between the Mediterranean Sea in the west and the Euphrates River east, and thus helped connect the western world with the Orient. When the Seleucids took Syria in 323 BC, Palmyra remained autonomous and continued to flourish as an important caravan stop.

In 41 BC, Mark Antony tried to occupy Palmyra but failed. The Palmyrans had advance warning and had escaped to the other side of the Euphrates by the time he arrived, which indicates that Palmyra was still a nomadic settlement whose valuables could be removed at short notice.

Palmyra was made part of the Roman province of Syria during the reign of Tiberius (14–37). It steadily grew in importance as a trade route linking Persia, India, China, and the Roman empire. In 129, Hadrian visited the city and was so impressed that he proclaimed it a free city and renamed it Palmyra Hadriana. In 217, Emperor Caracalla made Palmyra a colonia, which meant exemption from paying taxes to the empire. The 2nd and 3rd centuries were the golden age of Palmyra, when it flourished through its extensive trading and favored status under the Romans.

The main god of the Aramaeans at Palmyra was Bol (probably an equivalent to Baal). Bol soon became known as Bel by assimilation to the Babylonian god Bel-Marduk; both gods presided over the movements of the stars. Ruins of the Temple of Bel can still be seen today.

The Palmyrenes associated Bel with the sun and moon gods, Yarhibol and Aglibol, and another heavenly triad formed around the Phoenician god Baal Shamen, the Lord of Heaven, who was more or less identical with Hadad. A monotheistic tendency emerged in the 2nd century AD with the worship of an unnamed god "whose name is blessed forever, the merciful and good."

The language of Palmyra was Aramaic. Its two systems of writing, a monumental script and a Mesopotamian cursive, reflect the city's position between East and West. The great bilingual inscription known as the Tariff of Palmyra and the inscriptions carved below the statues of the great caravan leaders reveal information on the organization and nature of Palmyra's trade. The Palmyrenes traded with India via the Persian Gulf route and also with Coptos on the Nile River, Dura-Europus in Syria, and Rome.

Palmyra's trade began to diminish in the early 3rd century, when the Persian Sassanids occupied the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates and closed the caravan road that passed through Palmyra (227). In 255, Septimus Odaenathus was appointed governor of Syria Phoenice, based in Palmyra. Five years later, he was made Governor of all the East.

In 266 Odaenathus and his eldest son were assassinated. Power fell to his infant son, but Odaenathus' wife, Zenobia, became the effective ruler. Some believe she was the one who hired the assassin.

The ambitious Zenobia was half-Greek and half-Arab (or possibly half-Jewish) and claimed to be descended from Cleopatra. She was exceptionally intelligent and an eloquent speaker of Palmyrian, Greek and Egyptian and attractive. In her court were philosophers, scholars and theologians.

Queen Zenobia was an effective ruler and her armies conquered most of Anatolia (Asia Minor) in 270, and the city declared its independence from Rome. Zenobia had her sights set on Antioch when she was captured in 272.

She was sent to Rome, where she was paraded in golden chains as Emperor Aurelian's trophy. There are two stories of Zenobia's last days: she either lived comfortably in Rome in a villa provided for by the emperor or she starved/poisoned herself to death. A year later, Palmyra was destroyed and the inhabitants slaughtered.

In the 6th century, Palmyra's defences are rebuilt by emperor Justinian and a few Byzantine churches were built, but most of the city remained in ruins. In 634, Palmyra was taken by the Muslim Arabs under Khalid ibn Walid in the name of the first Muslim caliph, Abu Bakr. A castle was built on top of a mountain overlooking the oasis. Surrounded by a moat, the castle was accessible only through a drawbridge.

In 1089, a major earthquake destroyed what was left of Palmyra. In 1678, Palmyra was "rediscovered" by two English merchants living in Aleppo. Excavations began in 1924 and the ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980.

What to See

The extensive ruins at Palmyra reveal the network plan of the ancient city. The Corinthian order marks almost all the monuments, but the influence of Mesopotamia and Iran is also clearly evident. The art found on monuments and tombs also reflects the influences of the surrounding Roman and Persian empires. As UNESCO puts it, "the art and architecture of Palmyra, standing at the crossroads of several civilizations, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences."

Much of the principal east-west street, named the Grand Colonnade by archaeologists, still stands. It was originally almost one mile long and consisted of of some 1,500 Corinthian columns. The monumental arch at one end of the colonnade has been partially restored. Along the colonnade, a double portico is ornamented with three nymphaea. To the south are the agora, the Senate House, and the theater.

Other ruins include a vast complex called Diocletian's Camp and the chief Palmyrene temple sanctuary, dedicated to Bel, Yarhibol, and Aglibol. Palmyra's museum, between the ruins and the new town, contains statues and objects excavated from the site.