Hostels in PALMYRA, SYRIA

Palmyra – Syria’s Prime Archaeological Attraction

The oasis city of Palmyra, also called as the Bride of Syrian Desert, has always an important place for desert travellers and features some of the most spectacular monuments today.

History
Palmyra existed as an elegant and wealthy city during the 1st century because of its location linking Mediterranean ports with Persia. Its location gave its rulers an upper hand while controlling the trade and commerce of the Silk Route. It had been ruled by the Arameans, Seleucids, Romans and the Byzantines during the ancient ages before it fell into the hands of the Muslim Arabs in the 7th century A.D. The city witnessed a huge decline under the Ottoman rulers before being again discovered in the 17th century.

Poular Places and Attractions
Palmyra’s archaeological site features on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Structures. The Temple of Bel is Palmyra’s biggest attraction. It is considered as Middle East’s most important building having religious background and belonging to the ancient age. Across this temple is a colonnaded street lined with columns. The great Monumental Arch standing at its one end is also extremely impressive. The colonnade’s south is marked by a Banquet Hall and Theatre. All these structures are believed to belong to the 1st century A.D. Qala’at ibn Maan, an Arab castle is located on a hilltop overlooking Palmyra.

Outside the walls of the ancient city, several funerary monuments were constructed by the Palmyra’s rulers. This is called as the Valley of Tombs and contains several large structures and rich decorations including a 1 Km long necropolis. Limestone slabs having human busts can be found sealing the burial compartments of these tombs. Some other popular attractions are the excavated Tariff Court, Agora, Diocletian’s Camp, 1200-year-old Church, Syrian Goddess Temple, Damascus Gate and the Temple of Ba’al Shamin.

Getting Around
Services of buses, taxis and car rentals can be availed for helping you guide your way around Palmyra.

Places for Entertainment
Restaurants, bars and shopping centres are the usual places for entertainment in the city. Camel rides and hiking tours into the city’s magnificent ruins are also quite adventurous. The annual May Palmyra Festival is marked by camel races, music and folk dancing. Day long excursions can be taken up for visiting the city’s nearby attractions such as Qasr al-Heir ash-Sharki, which used to be a palace of the Umayyad rulers, and Rasafa, a Roman city heavily influenced by the Byzantines. Rasafa is especially interesting because of the quartz-like crystals used in its construction.

Accommodation
Luxurious hotels, budget hotels, villas, tent sites and youth hostels for students and backpackers can be found in Palmyra for fulfilling tourist accommodation requirements.

Currency
The official currency of Syria is the Syrian Pound (SYP).  Currency exchange services are provided by Syria’s Commercial Bank office. Local news publications can be seen for knowing the latest exchange rates. For securing better exchange rates, souqs are more preferable as compared to the Commercial Bank. Acceptability of credit cards, U.S Dollar and traveller’s cheques is limited.

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