Tadmur Community and Local Life
Visit the modern town of Tadmur adjacent to ancient Palmyra where the local community is rebuilding after the displacement and destruction of the ISIS period, the human story of recovery inseparable from the restoration of the ancient ruins.
Palmyra Reconstruction and Recovery
Witness the ongoing reconstruction of Palmyra after the devastating ISIS occupation of 2015-2016 when systematic destruction was carried out against the ancient monuments, and see the international effort to restore one of the world great archaeological sites.
Desert Experience and Caravan Heritage
Experience the Syrian desert around Palmyra where the ancient caravan routes crossed 2,000 kilometers of waterless terrain carrying silk, spices, and luxury goods between China and Rome, making Palmyra the most important trading city in the ancient Middle East.
Palmyra Museum and Artistic Heritage
Visit the Palmyra Museum whose collections of Palmyrene sculpture, funerary portraits, and everyday objects from the ancient city represent the most distinctive artistic tradition of the ancient Middle East, the unique synthesis of Parthian and Roman art that developed in this desert trading city.
Queen Zenobia and Palmyrene Empire
Learn about Queen Zenobia, the 3rd century ruler of Palmyra who built a breakaway empire challenging Rome, visiting the Arab castle that overlooks the ancient city and the sites associated with the most famous woman in Syrian history.
Valley of the Tombs
Explore the Valley of the Tombs west of ancient Palmyra where the distinctive tower tombs of wealthy Palmyrene merchant families rise from the desert, their multi-story funerary towers housing the remains of the aristocracy who grew rich from the caravan trade.
Great Colonnade and Roman City
Walk the Great Colonnade of Palmyra, the magnificent colonnaded street that was the main axis of the ancient city, where the surviving columns create a processional way through the desert city that was once one of the wealthiest trading centers in the Roman world.
Temple of Bel and Sacred Precinct
Visit the site of the Temple of Bel at Palmyra, once considered the most complete ancient temple in the Middle East, the 1st century CE sanctuary that combined Roman architecture with Semitic religious traditions before its partial destruction by ISIS in 2015.