Orontes River and Agricultural Valley
Explore the fertile Orontes River valley around Homs, the agricultural heartland of central Syria where ancient water management systems, Roman bridges, and traditional farming villages line the river that has sustained civilization here for thousands of years.
Saint George Monastery and Christian Heritage
Visit the Monastery of Saint George in the mountains west of Homs, one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world, where the Aramaic-speaking Christian community has maintained continuous worship in a spectacular mountain setting since the 6th century.
Homs Cuisine and Local Life
Discover the distinctive cuisine and reviving local life of Homs, a city rebuilding its social fabric after the civil war where the return of restaurants, markets, and community spaces signals the recovery of normal urban life.
Palmyra Ancient Desert City
Visit Palmyra, the magnificent ancient desert city that rose to become one of the most important trading centers of the ancient world under Queen Zenobia, whose extraordinary ruins are being assessed for restoration after severe ISIS damage.
Desert Road to Palmyra
Drive the desert road from Homs to Palmyra through the Syrian steppe, the ancient caravan route that connected the Mediterranean world to Mesopotamia and made Palmyra one of the greatest trading cities of the ancient world.
Apamea Roman City
Explore Apamea, the extraordinary Roman city north of Homs where the longest colonnaded street in the ancient world stretches for nearly two kilometers, the massive archaeological site preserving the remains of a city that once housed 500,000 people.
Crac des Chevaliers Crusader Castle
Visit Crac des Chevaliers, the finest Crusader castle in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the impregnable hilltop fortress of the Knights Hospitaller that dominated the Homs Gap for two centuries and inspired medieval castle design throughout Europe.
Homs Old City and Reconstruction
Explore Homs old city, once one of the most historic cities in Syria and a major casualty of the civil war, where the ancient neighborhoods and monuments are now being rebuilt by returning residents in a remarkable act of collective resilience.