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39-483: The spring emerges on the west side of modern Tadmur , "opposite the modern building of the Cham Palace hotel, situated on the road to Damascus beyond the ruins of the ancient city." The spring flows out of the limestone inside al-Mintar Mountain via nine hand-dug wells that feed into a 400-meter-long cave, or underground irrigation channel, known as a qanat . A recent restoration project sought to undo some of

78-410: A grant from the emperor himself. One ran nine kilometers west to Riweisat, the other ran north and is called Biyar el‑Amye, which means wells of the blind . In an addition to providing water for the settlement, the water was distributed to farms on the outskirts that grew grain and vegetables for wealthy residents; itinerant shepherds were periodically allowed to graze and glean the enclosed fields since

117-417: A popular health resort, and a base for the legionary cavalry unit "Equites Promoti Indigenae". There are also a number of Corinthian columns and marble ornaments that date from this era, when nearby Palmyra was a major city in the region; Palmyrene inscriptions were found in the city written by Palmyrene residents and dedicated to the "Great God of Nazala". Prior to Islamic rule in the 7th century CE,

156-468: A population of 14,208 in the 2004 census. It is the administrative center of the al-Qaryatayn nahiyah ("subdistrict") which consists of three localities with a collective population of 16,795 in 2004. Its inhabitants are predominantly Sunni Muslims and Syriac Christians . There are numerous Greco-Roman -era buildings located in al-Qaryatayn, including an extensive sanitarium known as Hamaam Balkis ("Bath of Sheba"). During Roman rule, it served as

195-406: A retreating Mongol force back to al-Qaryatayn. In the 19th century, al-Qaryatayn's economy, which depended on camel transport services, declined sharply due to the technological advances in transportation of the time, specifically the steamship and the train. This greatly reduced the number of Mecca -bound pilgrims who previously used al-Qaryatayn's inhabitants as guides or transport providers. In

234-529: A site revered by Shia Muslims , and sometime between then and 23 June destroyed the tomb of Nizar Abu Bahaaeddine, a Sufi scholar who lived in Palmyra in the 16th century. Abu Bahaaeddine's tomb was situated in an oasis about 500 metres (1,600 ft; 550 yd) from Palmyra's main ancient ruins. Mohammed bin Ali's tomb was located in a mountainous region 5 kilometres (3 mi) north of Palmyra. Ten days prior to

273-531: A small Christian community. The city has a Syriac Catholic Church , which is the only church in the city. During the Syrian Civil War , the city's population significantly increased due to the influx of internally displaced refugees from other parts of the country. In Arabic , both cities are known as 'Tadmur'. Tadmur is the Semitic and earliest attested native name of the city; it appeared in

312-546: A visit in 1913, American traveler Lewis Gatson Leary described al-Qaryatayn as "a squalid village". For much of the Syrian Civil War, which began in March 2011, al-Qaryatayn remained relatively neutral in the conflict. Town elders made agreements with both government forces and the rebels to stay out of the fighting. However, its location is strategic as it lies at a crossroads between the northern and southern parts of

351-423: Is derived from the word "pal", meaning "to know", + the same mVr formant "mar". There is a Syriac etymology for Tadmor, referring to dmr "to wonder", and Tedmurtā ( Aramaic : ܬܕܡܘܪܬܐ) "Miracle"; thus Tadmūra means "object of wonder", most recently affirmed by Franz Altheim and Ruth Altheim-Stiehl (1973), but rejected by Jean Starcky (1960) and Michał Gawlikowski (1974). In 1929, Henri Arnold Seyrig ,

390-525: Is located in an oasis in the middle of the Syrian Desert 215 kilometres (134 mi) northeast of Damascus and 180 kilometres (110 miles) southwest of the Euphrates River . The ruins of ancient Palmyra , a UNESCO World Heritage Site , are situated about 500 metres ( 1 ⁄ 3 mile) southwest of the modern city centre. Relatively isolated, the nearest localities include Arak to

429-521: Is supported by Jean Starcky . Michael Patrick O'Connor argued for a Hurrian origin of both "Palmyra" and "Tadmur", citing the incapability of explaining the alterations to the theorized roots of both names, which are represented in the adding of a -d- to "Tamar" and a -ra- to "palame". According to this theory, "Tadmur" is derived from the Hurrian word "tad", meaning "to love", + a typical Hurrian mid vowel rising (mVr) formant "mar". "Palmyra"

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468-625: The Ghassanids had a military installation in the town. During the Muslim conquest of Syria , al-Qaryatayn's inhabitants resisted Khalid ibn al-Walid 's army in the summer of 634. Khalid's forces conquered the town, taking a large plunder from it before proceeding to capture other towns in the area. During Abd al-Malik 's reign over the Umayyad Caliphate (646–705), his son al-Walid I used al-Qaryatayn along with adjacent towns in

507-472: The Jacobite ( Syriac Orthodox ) church, but its followers were converting to Catholicism as part of a growing trend among Syria's Christians at the time. In 1908, Czech explorer Alois Musil noted that al-Qaryatayn was divided into six quarters, four Muslim and two Christian. The four Muslim quarters together consisted of six hundred huts, and two Christian quarters, one Syriac Orthodox with two priests and

546-736: The Monastery of St. Elian in al-Qaryatayn. Parts of the monastery were 1,500 years old. On 3 April 2016, the Syrian Army regained control of the town from ISIL . The town was reported to have been re-captured by ISIL on 1 October 2017. On 21 October 2017, the Syrian army has liberated the town of Al-Qaryatayn which located in Eastern Homs countryside. According to media reports, within this three weeks period, 116 civilians were executed because they were considered cooperating with

585-475: The Syrian Desert . Nearby localities include Tadmur ( Palmyra ) to the northeast, Furqlus to the north, al-Riqama and Dardaghan to the northwest, Mahin , Huwwarin and Sadad to the west, Qarah , Deir Atiyah and al-Nabk to the southwest and Jayrud to the south. Al-Qaryatayn translates as "the two villages". According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics , al-Qaryatayn had

624-433: The damage done by ISIS attacks in the area . The spring went dry in 1994, due to a combination of drought, over pumping, and neglect, but has been rehabilitated as the result of a joint Syrian–Russian restoration project and is flowing again as of 2019. Water from the spring is channeled into the 420 hectares (1,000 acres) of date palm and olive orchards surrounding the spring. According to historian Michał Gawlikowski ,

663-578: The ancient and modern cities are commonly known as "Palmyra". The name "Palmyra" appeared during the early first century AD, in the works of Pliny the Elder , and was used throughout the Greco-Roman world. The general view holds that "Palmyra" is derived from "Tadmur" either as an alteration, which was supported by Schultens, or as a translation using the Greek word for palm ("palame", παλάμη), which

702-550: The ancient city of Palmyra , which developed adjacently to the north of the ancient ruins. The modern city is built along a grid pattern. Quwatli Street is the main road and runs east-west, starting from the Saahat al-Ra'is Square on the western edge of the town. The city served as a base for tourists visiting the ruins. It has a museum in the southwestern part of the city. Syria holds an annual cultural festival in Tadmur celebrating

741-590: The area as a base of operations. Al-Walid II , who was known to be a corrupt caliph , held parties at the Umayyad palace in al-Qaryatayn during his brief reign between 743 and 744. In late 1104, the Seljuk prince ( emir ) Suqman ibn Artuq died in the town on his way to Damascus after being summoned by the ruler of that city, Zahir ad-Din Tughtekin . Arab geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi visited al-Qaryatayn in

780-507: The city's ancient heritage. The Palmyra Airport is located here. The city is also home to the Tadmur Prison , which has historically held numerous opponents of the various Syrian governments. Palmyra also serves as a center for Syria's phosphate mining and natural gas industries. The first phosphate mine run by the government was established near Tadmur and started production in 1971. Work to connect Tadmur's phosphate mines to

819-557: The country. Al-Qaryatayn has served as conduit for both sides. Rebels smuggle arms from the north to rebel fighters in Damascus, while the government uses the town to reinforce and resupply their forces in the north and west. It has also been used as a corridor for defectors from the Syrian Army from across the country as highways from the northern, southern, eastern and western directions run through al-Qaryatayn. On 5 August 2015,

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858-453: The early 13th century and described it as "a large village belonging to Hims, and on the desert road. It lies between Hims, Sukhnah , and Arak ... It is two marches from Tadmur [Palmyra]." He also noted its inhabitants were all Christians . A 10,000-member brigade of the Mongol army raided the town and the surrounding region in 1260. Later that year, a Mamluk force led by Emir Salar pursued

897-579: The east, Al-Sukhnah further to the northeast, Tiyas to the west and al-Qaryatayn to the southwest. Palmyra is the administrative centre of the Tadmur District and the Tadmur Subdistrict. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the city had a population of 51,323 and the subdistrict a population of 55,062 in the 2004 census. Tadmur's inhabitants were recorded to be predominantly Sunni Muslims in 1838. It has

936-498: The first half of the second millennium BC. The etymology of "Tadmur" is vague; Albert Schultens considered it to be derived from the Semitic word for dates ("Tamar"), in reference to the palm trees that surround the city. 13th century Syrian geographer Yaqut al-Hamawi states Tadmur was the name of the daughter of one of Noah's distant descendants and that she was buried in the city. In English and other European languages,

975-525: The general director of antiquities in the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon , started excavating the ruins of Palmyra and forcibly displaced the villagers to a government-built village, adjacent to the ancient site. The relocation was completed in 1932, making the ancient city of Palmyra ready for excavations, while the residents settled in the new village of the same name. On 13 May 2015,

1014-411: The goat and sheep manure that came with the herd was valuable fertilizer for next year's planting. There is also a second spring in the center of town but as of 1976 it was described as "not very abundant". In addition to use as drinking water and for irrigation, the waters of Efqa were used therapeutically—the ancients carved benches in the stone basins containing the water so that they could bathe in

1053-462: The inhabitants by individual members of those tribes. This situation was a result of the weakness of al-Qaryatayn's sheikh, which was in contrast to his father, Fayyad Agha ibn Da'as (died 1903), under whom no tribe disturbed the village. That same year, British writer Gertrude Bell noted that Fayyad Agha (possibly Ahmad ibn Fayyad) was indisputably the "greatest brigand " in Syria at the time. During

1092-793: The maintenance of the spring was closely tied to the religious cult of ancient Tadmor (Palmyra to the Greeks and Romans and present-day English speakers): One function of general interest was the supervision of the Efqa spring; the 'chief of the spring' was chosen every year by the god Yarhibol , probably through some rite of divination or drawing of sorts, and the same god provided him testimony at the end of his term. In one case at least, there were two chiefs at the same time...Duties of the appointees were no doubt related to the cult, but very likely they also supervised the distribution of water in the oasis, a task of utmost importance that

1131-531: The middle part of that century, during the reign of the Egyptian governor of Syria, Ibrahim Pasha , al-Qaryatayn was a small village with mud brick homes. Its inhabitants were recorded as Muslims and Syriac Christians in 1838. In the 1850s, al-Qaryatayn was described as a "large village" where two-thirds of the inhabitants were Muslims and the remainder Christians. Most of the Christians belonged to

1170-672: The militant terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched an attack on the modern town, raising fears that the iconoclastic group would destroy the historic city. On 18 May ISIL captured the city, with their forces entering the area of the World Heritage Site several days later. In May 2015 ISIL destroyed the tomb of Mohammed bin Ali, a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad 's cousin Ali , and

1209-403: The orchards and the area north of the city, the assault on the city began. In the early morning hours of the 27th of March 2016, the Syrian military forces regained full control over the city. In December 2016, ISIS retook the oilfields outside of the city , and began moving back into the city center. On 1 March 2017, the Syrian army backed by warplanes, had entered to Palmyra and captured

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1248-454: The other Syriac Catholic with one priest, consisted of some two hundred houses. At the time, al-Qaryatayn's sheikh (chieftain) was Ahmad ibn Fayyad Agha, and the village paid numerous regional Bedouin tribes, including the Ruwalla , Wuld Ali, Sba'a, and Fad'an, the annual khuwwa (brotherhood) tribute as a means to either protect them from their plundering raids or to return goods stolen from

1287-475: The port of Tartus began in 1978. In 1986 Soviet surveyors discovered large iron ore deposits in the vicinity of Tadmur. Al-Qaryatayn Al-Qaryatayn ( Arabic : ٱلْقَرْيَتَين , Syriac : ܩܪܝܬܝܢ ), also spelled Karyatayn , Qaratin or Cariatein , is a town in central Syria , administratively part of the Homs Governorate located southeast of Homs . It is situated on an oasis in

1326-591: The terrorist group. On 9 August 2015, the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF) bombed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant positions in al-Qaryatayn, resulting in the death of around 30 militants as well as the destruction of seven vehicles and a rocket depot, according to government sources. Meanwhile, ISIL announced a 30-day ultimatum for the remaining Syrian officials in the city to "declare their repentance", or else their houses would be seized. On 21 August, ISIL released images showing their demolition of

1365-509: The tombs' destruction, ISIL destroyed a number of tombstones at a local cemetery for Palmyra's residents. ISIL is also reported to have placed explosives around Palmyra. They also destroyed the Temple of Baalshamin in mid 2015. In March 2016 a large-scale offensive by the SAA (supported by Hezbollah and Russian airstrikes) initially regained the areas south and west of the city. After capturing

1404-507: The town was captured by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants. al-Qaryatayn is important to ISIL because the town is one of many along the Damascus-Homs Highway. On 6 August 2015, ISIL abducted 230 civilians, including at least 60 Christians from al-Qaryatayn. ISIL later advanced even further, taking control of Mahin and Huwwarin by 8 August, thus forcing hundreds of Christians to flee persecution by

1443-412: The waters. The spring water emerges from the vent at roughly 33 °C (91 °F). The mineralized water of the spring smells of hydrogen sulfide . Palmyra (modern) Palmyra ( / ˌ p ɑː l - m aɪ r ə / ; Arabic : تَدْمُر , romanized :  Tadmur ; Palmyrene : 𐡶𐡣𐡬𐡥𐡴 Tadmor ) is a city in central Syria , administratively part of the Homs Governorate . It

1482-498: The western and northern western sections of the city amid information about pulling back by ISIS from the city. The next day, the Syrian Army recaptured the entire city of Palmyra , after ISIL fully withdrew from the city. On 19 April 2021, the Russian Defence Ministry announced that it had killed "up to 200 fighters", by targeting a "terrorist" base northeast of Palmyra . Palmyra is a modern resettlement of

1521-465: Was strictly regulated until very recently. The channel into the mountain is features "small rock-cut chapels with incense altars ( pyrat )" for offerings to Yarhibol. In addition to the main Efqa spring, the water infrastructure of Tadmor used two other qanats, underground channels fed by aquifer layers west and north of the oasis. These were possibly constructed under the emperor Hadrian , possibly with

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