WONDERFUL MIDDLE EAST ASIA
SYRIA
PALMYRA
Map of ancient city
Palmyra is an ancient city
of central Syria, located in an oasis 130 miles (210 km) NE of Damascus.
Once dubbed the "Bride of the Desert," Palmyra was a vital stop for caravans
crossing the Syrian desert. Palmyra was mentioned in the Old Testament as being
fortified by Solomon and it flourished in Roman times.
There is much to see at the site today, including several temples dedicated to
Aramean, Babylonian and Mesopotamian deities. The ancient ruins are a World
Heritage Site and are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Syria.
Temple of Baal
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.
Kota kuno Palmyra dengan sinar pagi hari
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. It 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.
Kuil Apulo
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.
Jajaran kolom
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."
Gaya Romawi
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.
Temple of Bel
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.
Amphitheatre
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.
Stage of the amphitheatre
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."
Kuburan dekat perbukitan
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.
Di dalam kuburan orang Romawi
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.
Gregorian Armenian Church
Map of Aleppo Jdeide Quarter
Menara gereja
Memorial to Armenian genocide
Altar gereja
Detail altar gereja
Kursi untuk Uskup
Incense burner
Buku untuk dibacakan
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