Damascus to Palmyra by road
We spend four nights and three full days in Palmyra (called Tadmor in Arabic). We may make a day trip to an ancient desert palace on the third day.
NOTE: Thursday, 9 April will be a full-moon night.
Palmyra O/N
Our Palmyra hotel - Villa Palmyra
Two websites:
http://www.asiarooms.com/syria/palmyra/villa_palmyra.html
http://www.the-leisurehotels.com/VillaPalmyraHotel.html
TripAdvisor reviews for the Palmyra Villa Hotel in Damascus
1. “A disappointment”
London
Feb 24, 2009
We stayed here two nights during what I think is the low season for Syria (Feb) - we were almost the only ones staying at the time. At $60 each night we were dismayed with the lack of hot water one morning and evening. We complained to the hotel manager and were told to run the taps for 15 mins. In the end we ran it for an hour and had to make do with a tepid shower. The bathroom could also have been alot cleaner for the price. The shower head was also broken and the drain blocked - we unblocked it ourselves. The staff offered no apologies for the lack of hot water and the morning we left requested a reduction in the bill. This was initially rebuffed but we basically demanded it from a total of 6000 Syrian pounds to 5000. We werent impressed. The good things were the beds and the view from the roof restaurant were you can have a beer while watching the sunset. I recommend the Casa Mia which is 2 streets behind the hotel and has good new rooms for $25 each night.
2. “Clean, reasonable price and good location”
lekjart - Shanghai
Jan 9, 2009
After having stayed at various budget hotels around Syria during a cold snap in january, we really appreciated this hotel. The hotel is obviously recently renovated with nice clean rooms and good heating (very important during winter).Location is on same street as most other hotels, i.e. close to the entry to the ruins. The place also features a restaurant that is supposed to be good, but we didn't have the opportunity to try it. The breakfast buffet on the other hand was nice, on the top floor with a nice viewPrices were reasonable, especially considering the good quality of the accommodations. Many cheaper places that we stayed in had bad heating, so it was freezing cold.
Liked — good price, good rooms
Disliked — nothing really
3. “Good stay for a good location!”
martiab - Italy
Oct 13, 2008
This three stars hotel is a good solution for stay in Palmyra. The rooms are small but renewed and very clean. The breakfast is good. The location is excellent, 10 minutes walk from the historical sites.
Liked — the price for quality
Disliked — no wi-fi access
4. “the staff stoles your money!”
polikatena - Madrid
Oct 12, 2006
This seemed a nice and clean hotel, but expensive (60$ per night), and the staff stole all our money. They stole from us 400 Euros, just the banknotes (200 in Euros, and more than 180 Euros in Jordan Dinars). It was our money for the following days in Jordan, before returning to Spain. We realised that we were robbed the day after, in Jordan, so there was no possibility for going to the police. The amount was in two different wallets, each one inside the two suitcases (and each one closed with a numeric code of 3 digits). So, it was just time to open it. Honestly, we didn’t expect this from a 3 star hotel, one of the more expensive in the city. And we suppose that this isn’t an unusual case. I emailed the hotel, but I haven’t got any response yet. This happened also to a friend of mine in Palmyra, but at the Heliopolis Hotel. So it seems that it is a city of thieves! Ahhhhh! Check the bill at every restaurant!!
Disliked — there are thieves with no shame among the staff!
Tips/Secrets: —keep all your money with you.
PALMYRA
Palmyra (Tadmor in Arabic) is in the heart of Syrian Desert, and is often described as the bride of the desert. Its magnificent remains tell of a heroic history during the reign of Queen Zenobia.
The Oasis, as it is sometimes called, is located near a hot-water spring called Afqa, which make it an ideal halt for caravans moving between Iraq and Al-Sham (present day Syria, Lebanon, Holy Land and Jordan), trading in silk from China to the Mediterranean. This strategic location made Palmyra prosper in a well-established kingdom from the 2nd century BC.
After Romans conquered Syria, Palmyra flourished and became known as city of palm-trees. When Emperor Adrian visited Palmyra, he declared it a free city; in return, people of Palmyra gratefully called their city Adrianapalmyra.
The Severus emperors then, who were originally Syrian, came to rule Palmyra, they treated its people extremely well. Emperor Caracalla declared it a Roman colony, which made it a luxurious one: new constructions, streets, arches, temples and statues were built, making Palmyra one of the greatest cities of Roman empire.
When conflict between Persia and Rome reached its crisis, Rome resorted to ruler of Palmyra for help. This ruler, Auzaina, managed to withstand Persian armies, which led Romans to call him leader of East. But he was soon assassinated in mysterious circumstances, and his second wife, Queen Zenobia, a woman renowned for her exceptionally strong character, took power.
Zenobia ruled Palmyra in a way that astonished both West and East. She was exceptionally intelligent and attractive. She was a gifted linguist, an eloquent speaker of Palmyrian, Greek and Egyptian.
Zenobia had a wide knowledge of politics, and in her court, she had many philosophers, scholars and theologians.
Queen Zenobia was soon fired by ambition of getting rid of Roman domination. In 268, during reign of Emperor Aurelian, she decided to conquer all of Rome's territories. He was then very much engaged in internal conflicts as well as external wars. This enabled her to take over whole Syria, conquer Egypt and send armies to Asia Minor, gaining control thereby of all land and sea ways to Far East. She took the title of August, which was only used by emperor of Rome, and she had money coined with her and her son's likeness upon it, without that of Rome emperor.
However, Emperor Aurelian took quick action in settling his internal disputes, and started to plan his revenge on Queen Zenobia. He formed a new army for this purpose, which proceeded through Turkey to conquer Zenobia's army in their first defensive position in Homs. It besieged Palmyra until it fell in 274. Queen Zenobia was defeated and taken captive to Rome, fettered in chains of gold where she poisoned herself.
The destiny of the great kingdom of Palmyra was no better than that of its queen; the city fell prey to looting and destruction. Archaeologists are still working on excavations there in order to uncover queen's palace, which was destroyed by Romans and replaced by a military camp.
Queen Zenobia's ambitious dream is still embodied in the magnificent remains of what she built. Palmyra ruins, which covers an area of 6 square kilometers, requires a full day in order to form an adequate idea of the beauty of the remaining architecture such as Baal-Shamin Temple, Bel Temple, Arch of Triumph, the Amphitheater, the Baths, the Straight Street, the Congress Council and the Cemeteries
