Why is Palmyra, a city in Syria, under special protection by UNESCO? History and ethnology. Data. Events. Fiction What is palmyra in Syria

The first mention of this city dates back to 900 BC. Palmyra was ruled by the most famous kings of antiquity to this day. There were uprisings, collapses of empires, intrigues and many other significant historical processes.

The architecture of ancient times has survived to this day and is truly unique. However, in 2015, the remains of the ancient city were destroyed by Islamic State terrorists.

Ancient times

The antiquity of the city can be assessed at least by the fact that the Bible contains a description of such a fortress as Palmyra. Syria at that time was not a single state. Various kings and tribes ruled on its territory. The famous biblical character - King Solomon - decided to found Tadmor (former name) as a fortress to protect against the raids of the Arameans. The location was chosen at the intersection of trade routes. But soon after its construction, the city was almost completely destroyed as a result of the campaign of Nuavuhodnosor. But the extremely favorable location prompted the new owners to rebuild the settlement. From then on, rich merchants and nobility constantly arrived here. In a short time, Palmyra turned from a village in the desert into a kingdom.

Rumors of untold riches spread even throughout Europe. I myself learned that there is an incredibly beautiful city of Palmyra near the Euphrates Valley. Syria at that time was partially controlled by the Parthians, who were at war with Rome. Therefore, the imperial troops decided to take the city, but these attempts did not lead to success. A few years later, a commander from the Antonin dynasty finally took Tadmor. From then on, the city and surrounding area became a Roman colony. But local managers were given expanded rights that were not available in other conquered lands.

Greatest Power

The struggle for these territories was much broader than control over the province of Palmyra. Syria is one third desert, uninhabitable. Therefore, control of this area depended on the capture of several stronghold nodes. Whoever controlled the region between the sea and the Euphrates valley had influence over the entire desert. Since the city was very far from the central Roman lands, uprisings against the capital often took place here. One way or another, Palmyra has always remained a relatively independent province, following the example of Greek city-polises. The peak of power came during the reign of Queen Zenobia. Merchants from all over the Middle East traveled to Tamdor. Luxurious temples and palaces were erected. Therefore, Zenobia decided to completely get rid of Roman oppression. However, Aurelian, the Roman emperor, reacted quickly enough and went with his army to the distant frontiers. As a result, the Romans conquered Palmyra, and the queen was captured. From then on, the decline of one of the most beautiful cities of antiquity began.

Sunset

After the overthrow of Zenobia, the city still remained under the close attention of the Roman emperors. Some of them tried to rebuild and return Palmyra to its original appearance. However, their attempts were never successful. As a result, in the 8th century AD there was an Arab raid, as a result of which Palmyra was again devastated.

After this, only a small settlement remained from the mighty province. However, most of the monuments have survived to this day and were under the protection of UNESCO until 2015. Syria - Palmyra, which is especially known throughout the world - was a real Mecca for tourists. However, everything has changed.

Palmyra: a city in Syria today

Since 2012, there has been a bloody civil war in Syria. By 2016, it was still not over and new parties were taking part in it. In the spring of 2015, Palmyra became the scene of military operations. Just as thousands of years ago, this province is the nodal point for control of the desert. There is a strategically important route to Deir ez-Zor here. It was under the control of the government troops of Bashar al-Assad. Back in the winter, militants from the terrorist organization of Iraq and the Levant infiltrated the province of Tamdor." For several months they tried to take the city, but to no avail.

Destruction

However, at the end of spring, when the main forces of government troops were occupied in other directions, the militants launched a massive attack on Palmyra. After a week of fierce fighting, ISIS still managed to take the city and surrounding area. This was followed by a series of brutal reprisals. The militants began to destroy ancient architectural monuments. In addition, the terrorists allowed the so-called “black archaeologists” to work in the city. They resell the finds they find on the black market for huge sums of money. Those monuments that are not transportable are destroyed.

Satellite images confirm that at the moment almost all buildings on the site where the city of Palmyra used to be located have been wiped off the face of the earth. Syria is still in a state of armed conflict, so it is unknown whether this terrible war will leave any monuments for our descendants.

Palmyra - “emerald set in the desert”

Among the yellow sands of the Syrian desert, the traveler is greeted by the majestic ruins of an ancient city. According to the Bible, Palmyra was created by genies on the orders of King Solomon.

The ancient city of Palmyra is located in Syria. The grandiose buildings of Palmyra stun the minds of contemporaries and can easily compete with the buildings of European antiquity. Ancient Palmyra in Syria was so magnificent that it became a common name for many existing cities (for Russia, the northern palmyra is St. Petersburg, the southern palmyra is Odessa).

Thanks to its favorable location at the intersection of caravan routes connecting East and West, Palmyra quickly grew from a small oasis in the desert into a thriving city. Slaves from Egypt, silk fabrics from China, spices from India and Arabia, pearls and carpets from Persia, jewelry from Phenicia, as well as Syrian-made goods - wine, wheat and purple-dyed wool - were sold here.

The importance of Palmyra as a trading center is evidenced by an ancient customs document found by the Russian industrialist and amateur archaeologist S. S. Abamelek-Lazarev in 1882. The so-called “Palmyra Duty Tariff” is a limestone slab weighing 15 tons, on which prices for basic goods, their tax rates for import and export, the procedure for using water sources in the city, and much more are written in Aramaic and Greek. Since 1901, the slab has been kept in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 17.11.2015 21:43

Mentions of the city of Palmyra begin in the 19th century BC. Then the city was called Tadmor, and one of the villages near the ruins of the legendary city is also called today.

The advantageous geographical position allowed ancient Palmyra to the 1st century AD. become a major trade and cultural center. And the growth of wealth attracted the eyes of ill-wishers. So in 271, the Roman emperor Aurelian took Palmyra in Syria under siege. None of the local defenders could resist the Roman legionaries, and the city had to surrender.

After the sack, a Roman garrison was stationed in the city. Construction continued in the 3rd-4th centuries, but it was of a defensive nature. Diocletian's new camp was surrounded by walls, which, by the way, occupied a smaller area than the city itself. The population of Palmyra fell sharply. After the arrival of the Byzantines, a border checkpoint was established here, and already under the Arabs the city fell completely into disrepair and was buried under a layer of sand. Later, merchants, travelers and even researchers periodically appeared here, but full-fledged excavations began only in the 1920s.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 11.12.2015 09:17

Under the Roman emperor Trajan, Palmyra was destroyed, but Hadrian (117 - 138 AD) rebuilt it and renamed it Adrianople, retaining its status as a “free city”. Here was the Roman army with civilian Palmyran archers, and the camel cavalry, created under Trajan, constituted the main military force of the inhabitants of Palmyra. For their service, archers were generously rewarded with land and slaves.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 11.12.2015 09:18

Located on the border of the possessions of the warring Romans and Parthians, the Palmyrans deftly traded with both: the Roman patricians needed silk, spices and incense transported through Palmyra, and the Parthians needed Roman goods.

The city served not only as a center for transit trade of the Mediterranean with India and China, but also as a kind of “buffer” in the struggle of Rome with the Parthian power, preventing the further spread of its power to the East.

In 212, Palmyra, officially declared a Roman colony, received the status of "juris italici", exempting Palmyra from taxes on luxury goods such as ivory, spices, perfumes, and silk. In those days, a new name was assigned to the city, which it bears to this day - “Tadmor”, which means “to be wonderful, beautiful.”

In their colony, the Romans built theaters, temples, baths, and palaces. Due to the abundance of palm alleys, Palmyra was called “an emerald in the frame of the desert.”

Sasha Mitrakhovich 11.12.2015 09:19

The greatest prosperity and decline of the city is associated with the name of Queen Zenobia. Historians compare her with such energetic and powerful women as Nefertiti, Cleopatra, the Queen of Sheba, and the ruler of Babylon, Semiramis.

Beautiful, intelligent and highly educated, Zenobia became the wife of the king of Palmyra, Odaenathus II, who, for his military merits, received from the Roman emperors the post of commander-in-chief in the East. He won a number of victories over the Persians, and historians believe he was killed by his cousin with the knowledge of Zenobia, who was thirsty for power.

After his death, Zenobia, left with her little son, took the reins of power into her own hands. She took possession of Asia Minor and Egypt and, deciding to put an end to the vassal position of Palmyra, declared the city independent. Describing the queen’s character, historians unanimously recognize her courage: “Of the two men, Zenobia is the better man.”

The Islamist movement ISIS continues to wreak havoc in the Middle East. The magnificent ruins of the priceless historical heritage of Ancient Rome in Syria and the Levant are in danger of disappearing.

After destroying the treasures of Babylon's last surviving cities of Nineveh, Hatra and Nimrud, ISIS attempts to destroy the architectural monuments of Palmyra in Syria.

Palmyra is an ancient city in Syria with a rich history.

Several reasons why Palmyra is a special historical site included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

1. Palmyra was a major trading center of the Greco-Roman period

For several centuries, the Palmyra fort in Syria served as an important commercial point in the Middle East. The ancient city gained worldwide fame when the Romans reclaimed the area.

A settlement in the middle of the desert, Palmyra had an ideal geographical location. The routes of merchants between the West and Parthia in the East passed through the city.
A huge number of caravans flocked to Palmyra, the markets were filled with a variety of goods: from spices to slaves, incense and ivory. The taxes collected for stopping in the city went towards the development and construction of Palmyra, as a result of which the city became incredibly rich.

2. The ruler of the ancient city of Palmyra was a woman

The ancient city was ruled by a woman for a long time. Zenobia, queen of Palmyra, became the most famous ruler of the Syrian city. Her fame reached Rome. She tried to oppose the powerful empire and expand the sphere of influence of civilization. As a result, the attempts failed, but her name was sung for several more centuries.

Even her arch-enemy, the Roman Emperor Aurelian, admitted in the Historia Augusta that the Queen of Palmyra was a worthy opponent.

When Aurelian demanded Xenovia's surrender, she replied that she would prefer to die like her, whom she considered her ancestor.

3. Palmyra: history of the city and attempts to conquer Mark Antony

The people of Palmyra were well aware of the news of Rome and the enemies of the empire - Parthia. Any state could invade the city.

In 41 BC. , being in a relationship with Cleopatra, decided to plunder the richest settlement on earth - Palmyra. He sent cavalry to plunder a city near Euraphatus, located on the border between the Romans and Parthians.

In fact, it is believed that Anthony simply wanted to take revenge on Palmyra, which occupied a neutral position. Anthony dreamed of showing off his booty to his friends. Residents took measures to protect their lives. They transported property across the river and were ready to shoot at the attackers. Many of them were good archers.

As a result, Anthony’s army found nothing in the city and, without meeting a single enemy, returned empty-handed, writes Appian.

Historical value of the ruins of Palmyra

The city's architectural monuments have been perfectly preserved over the centuries. Ruins can tell a lot about the life of the inhabitants of the ancient settlement.

The sculptures of Palmyra are somewhat different in style from those of Rome. The combination of funerary reliefs on stone and fusion with the culture of the Roman Empire led to the creation of especially beautiful bas-reliefs.

Among the wonders of art are Emperor Hadrian's Palmyra, the temple of the goddess Allat, the temple of Baal Shamin and the ruins of buildings where various peoples of the ancient world left historical traces.

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The fabulous eastern city, located 240 kilometers from Damascus, was abandoned and forgotten by people for a thousand years. What was wrong with Palmograd, also called “royal Palmyra” (in contrast to St. Petersburg - “northern Palmyra”)? Why was the capital of the vast eastern power in ancient Syria destroyed by the Romans in 272, and the city was covered with desert sands approaching from the south? Why did they forget about him? Only the “groves” of columns that withstood the wind and the protruding walls reminded of the former greatness and splendor of Palmyra.

The honor of its “discovery” in the 17th century belongs to the Italian Pietro della Balle. Other curious people followed him. But they didn’t believe them. Only a hundred years later, the English artist Wood brought sketches of Palmyra. He managed to make them become fashionable engravings, and with them the theme of Palmyra became fashionable. Predatory and professional excavations followed, in which the Russians took an active part. One of them - S. Amalebek-Laza-Rev - made the most interesting find from a historical point of view - a five-meter stele with the Palmyra duty decree of 137. It stood on the agora (square) opposite the temple of the god Rabasire, the ruler of the underworld, and now stands in the Hermitage.

Seeing Palmyra for the first time, S. Amabelek-Lazarev exclaimed:

“Oh, isn’t this a dream? Suddenly the road turns sharply to the right, and you involuntarily stop your horse - the impression is amazing. You are standing on a mountainside between tall burial towers. The wind roars furiously in them. In front of you is a vast field, on it there are several hundred columns, sometimes stretching in alleys a mile long, sometimes making up groves; between them are buildings, triumphal arches, porticos, walls in the middle of the picture, outside the city are the ruins of the Temple of the Sun - a colossal square building. Its walls are still intact and amaze you with their size from afar. To the right of the Temple of the Sun is the Palmir oasis; the gaze is captivated by the bright greenery of the crops with dark spots of palm trees and silvery ridges of olives lying on them. Behind the city lies a vast desert, behind the oasis there are salt marshes. The lighting is magical, the combination of tones defies description. The delicate pink and golden tones of the ruins lay against the purple background of the mountains and the blue of the desert.”

Indeed, the beauty of Palmyra is the beauty of a city that naturally fits into the surrounding nature.

It is absolutely certain that already in the 3rd millennium BC. e. Palmyra was inhabited by Semitic tribes. It is first mentioned in the Cappadocian tablets of the 2nd millennium BC. e. under the name Tadmor (in Aramaic this word means “wonderful”, “beautiful”). The next time the city is mentioned is in the inscription of the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser I in the list of conquered cities: “Tadmor, which lies in the country of Amurru.” Presumably, the city was attacked by the King of Babylon Nebuchadnezzar II in the 6th century BC. uh..

Then there were no mentions of Tadmor until Roman times. Appian’s “Civil Wars” tells how the Roman commander Mark Antony in 42-41 Don. e. unsuccessfully tried to rob the city. This operation was unsuccessful only because the residents, taking all the most valuable things, went to the banks of the Euphrates.

They probably felt that victory in the civil war would not belong to Anthony and Cleopatra, but to Octavian Augustus, and they were not mistaken. After all, back in the 3rd century BC. e. Tadmor became an "ally" of Rome and served as a buffer in Rome's struggle with the Parthians. Formally, it remained independent and was not even included in the Roman province of Syria. Only under Tiberius, the successor of Augustus, the city began to pay taxes and received the name Palmyra - the city of palm trees.

In 105 BC. e. Emperor Trajan captured the neighboring city of Petra and destroyed the independence of Southern Syria, which played a major role in East-West transit trade. This is where the time came for Palmyra, which got rid of its main competitor. Especially after 200, when immigrants from Syria - the Severas - sat on the Roman throne.

After all, Tadmor-Palmyra was primarily a merchant and caravan city. It arose in an oasis on the edge of the desert and mountains, where the underground spring Efka with lukewarm sulfurous water flowed. Every second, 150 liters of water were thrown out of an underground cave 100 meters long (there are still baths there). Traveling merchants settled here for the night, or even for a multi-day vacation. Gradually, the source became a meeting place and resale market for those who did not want to move on, preferring to donate part to a reseller rather than lose everything in the event of an attack by robber Bedouin tribes.

Efka was located five days' journey from the Euphrates and close to the place where Palmyra arose from the oasis. The exceptional importance of this crossroads was that it united Rome with South Arabia, Iran and India. The western wheel roads ended in Palmyra; here any goods had to be loaded onto camels, and vice versa. Palmyra merchants organized, equipped, and led caravans across the desert to the Euphrates. They received additional profit if they managed to avoid attacks on the caravan of the ubiquitous nomads. Because of all this, Palmyra quickly became a city of customs houses, inns and taverns. Farriers, porters, warriors, money changers, prostitutes, priests of even the smallest gods, translators, doctors, veterinarians, fugitive slaves, architects, masters of any crafts, spies, people of other professions settled here - in fact, only the Roman procurator and emperor were not here.

The yurod had huge incomes from collecting duties. The largest monument of Palmyrene legislation, which has already been mentioned, is dedicated to duties and is carved in two languages, Greek and Aramaic.

“Under Bonney, son of Bonney, son of Hairan, and grammatevse Alexander, son of Philopator, in the archonship of Malik, son of Solat, son of Mokimu, and Zobeida, son of Nesa, when the Council was assembled in accordance with the law, he decreed what is written below.

Since in former times in the law on duties many things subject to duty were not enumerated and were collected according to custom, because it was written in the contract that the collector of duty should collect according to law and custom, and therefore often in these cases there were lawsuits between merchants and collectors, the Council decided that these archons and decaprotes should consider what is not listed in the law, and let its duty be written down in a new agreement for each item.”

This was followed by an impressive list of taxable goods: slaves - 12 denarii each, camel cargo - 3 denarii, donkey - 2, purple wool - 28 denarii per fleece, fragrant ointment - 25 per alabaster vessel, oil in goatskin - 7, oil - 4, salted fish - 10 et cetera.

But it was a fee that the city charged. In the second part of the decree, it turns out that prefect Gaius Licinius Mutian took another fee, and did not take it himself, but farmed it out to a certain Alcimus and his companion. These took money for everything: for driving livestock, for trading in the city, for a load of nuts, scrupulously noting every little detail (they even divided prostitutes into two categories: those who take a denarius for intercourse, and those who charge more, and accordingly taxed).

Having familiarized yourself in detail with this “poem of fair extortion” that crowns the social life of the city, you understand how far the interests of this “vice-empire” of Rome in the East were from the imperial problems of the “metropolis” and at the same time how interested the Palmyrans were in peace. It is known that the Romans will fight, and the merchants will pay for the war. And it is no coincidence that at the end of the 2nd century the Romans created a special police magistrate in Palmyra to monitor the mood of the townspeople and passing merchants. The measure is quite understandable: you can rely as much as you like on the loyalty of the Palmyrans, but if the scales tip towards the enemies, the “friends of the Roman people” are unlikely to donate their last shirt to him, and not their last either.

In their entire way of life, the Patmirians were typical cosmopolitan merchants. Many of the purely mercantile interests even took second, Roman names, although they were all a symbiosis of Arameans, Semites and Arabs. At the same time, protecting their wealth from the mob, the Palmyrans used precisely the Roman experience, holding back the indignation of the poor masses and the dissatisfied with constant handouts. There were no hungry people in Palmyra. For this purpose, tesserae were distributed - peculiar tokens in the form of coins, which gave the owners the right to participate in food distributions, funeral funeral feasts and wedding feasts, attend the theater and enjoy other PLEASURES. With the help of a tesser, one could go on a trip and, presenting it in a foreign city to a person who was considered here a “friend and guest” of Palmyra, receive free food and overnight accommodation. In a number of cases, tesserae played the role of talismans under the auspices of one or another deity, so the names of their owners are not Roman, but local. From them you can find out the names of clans and hereditary profession.

The polytheism of the Palmyrans was explained by the multinational population and the presence of diverse merchants. With the latter, the gods arrived from all corners of the East. Atar-gatis, Ishtar, Anahita, Tammuz, Allat, Ardu, Tarate, Manu, Nebo and hundreds of others “coexisted” peacefully here. But most of the temples were built in honor of the Sun God (Bol, - Bel - Baal). He had dozens of incarnations, for example, Malak-Bol - the Sun of the Night, or Mahak-Bed - the Messenger, or Baal-Shamen - Thunder and Lightning, also known as the Great and Merciful. It is impossible for an uninitiated person to understand Palmyra polytheism straight away. It is likely that the Palmyrans themselves, like the Egyptians, did not know all their gods. Yes, they would not have enough time, funds, or physical strength to honor everyone. Therefore, let's focus on the main thing. This is the solar triad of Bel-Bol, Iarikh-Bol and Ali-Bol, in many ways similar to the similar Egyptian triad of Ra-Hore-Akht. The main one is Bel-Bol, and outside the city limits the most famous temple of Palmyra was erected to it - the Temple of the Sun, which became the prototype for the temple in Baalbek (Baalbek - lit. “Valley of the Sun”). At the same time, it is the largest temple in Palmyra, built in the 2nd century.
The temple stands on a built-up foundation in the middle of a huge courtyard surrounded by columns. Its length is 60 meters and its width is 31. Three entrances lead to the temple, decorated with portals, which in turn are decorated with bas-reliefs. One of them depicts a sacrificial procession: women, covered with veils, march behind camels. This bas-relief is silent proof that the veil was not introduced in the East by Islamists.

It is almost impossible to describe the entire grandiose complex of the temple; it must be seen. Let's just say that in terms of its grandeur it can easily be put on a par with the Colosseum and that elements of the Greco-Roman architectural style in it coexist peacefully with Eastern traditions. For example, the floor beams were topped with sharp triangular battlements, as in Babylon, and the capitals were made of bronze, which was removed and melted down by Aurelian's marauding legionnaires. Aurelian himself tried to erect a similar temple of the Sun in Rome and even spent 3,000 pounds of gold, 1,800 pounds of silver and all the jewelry of the Palmyra queen on it.

Later, the Arabs used the ruins of the temple as a supporting fortress in the fight against the Crusaders; the building was badly damaged, but compared to other monuments, it has survived to this day in satisfactory condition.

However, the Temple of the Sun is not the main attraction of Palmyra: its worldwide fame was created by the main street, starting from the Arc de Triomphe, built around 200, and passing through the entire city from southeast to northwest. The double Arc de Triomphe stands not across the street, but at an angle - to straighten the bend in this place. Paradoxically, the same architectural technique was repeated in Northern Palmyra - St. Petersburg: this is the arch of the General Staff Building.

The length of the main street is 1100 meters. It consisted of a roadway 11 meters wide, framed along its entire length by columns, and two covered sidewalks 6 meters wide. On both sides of the sidewalk there were workshops of artisans, which were also shops. Corinthian columns (their total number in ancient times was no less than 1124) reached 10 meters in height. On special protrusions of the columns - consoles, sometimes higher, sometimes lower, sculptural busts of merchants, caravan leaders and persons who provided services to the city were displayed. A distinctive feature of the Palmyrans can be considered the fact that they erected busts of each other, and not of themselves. The columns of the central square square - the agora - carried about 200 sculptural images. Moreover, there was “localism”: in the north, the columns were decorated with busts of officials, in the south - with caravan drivers “synodiarchs”, in the west - military leaders, in the east - archons and senators. The entire nobility of the oligarchic republic, where the “Council and the People” ruled under the watchful eye of Rome, was represented very clearly. Later, busts of members of the monarchically ruling Odaenati dynasty appeared on the memorial columns. They bore pompous Roman titles: “Head of Palmyra” (“Ras Tadmor”), consular of Rome, vice-emperor of Rome in the East, leader of the Romans in the East. The busts themselves have reached us in single copies, but inscriptions have been preserved that speak volumes:

“This statue is of Septimius Khapran, son of Odvnatus, the most illustrious senator and head of Palmyra, which was erected to him by Aurelius Philinus, son of Marius Philinus, (who is) son of Rasai, warrior of the legion that stands in Boer, in his time, in the month of Tishri, the year 563".

“The statue of Septimius Odaenathus, the most illustrious consular, our lord, which was erected to him by the community of gold and silversmiths in his honor in the month of Nissan 569.”

During its heyday, Palmyra was built up with luxurious public buildings, porticoes, temples, private palaces and baths. There was also a theater in the city, surrounded by a semi-ring (again) of columns, although not as large as in other Hellenistic cities, but built in the very center.

At first glance, it seemed that the city, and primarily the “forests” of columns, were entirely made of marble. The marble was actually imported from Egypt. The route by which it (and the granite) was delivered to Palmyra is still unknown (perhaps they carried either a semi-finished product or a finished product). But the most popular building material in the city was local limestone-shell rock - a soft stone that successfully imitates marble. Its quarries were located twelve kilometers from the city. The mining method was also Egyptian: a wooden stake was driven into a natural crack or a drilled hole, which was poured with plenty of water. The stake swelled and tore the block away from the rock. Then the block was sawed up and taken to the city. This limestone was golden in color and white with pink veins. It was he who created the beauty of Palmyra, which has not faded over the centuries.

To be fair, it should be noted that the Palmyraans themselves spared no expense in decorating their hometown. They decorated the three entrances to the Temple of the Sun with gold panels; there is no need to talk about the expenditure of silver, copper and bronze. Now one can only imagine what a stench there was from the caravans and herds endlessly arriving from all over the world in one of the most beautiful cities of antiquity! How dirty the bases of the most beautiful collection of columns in the world were by stray dogs! One must think that epidemics here were frequent and widespread.

But besides this living Patmyra, there was another one - the Valley of the Tombs. Its uniqueness frightened people already in the Middle Ages and gave rise to the most fantastic stories and legends. The tombs here were built from limestone. They are a room, square or rectangular (4–5 x 5–9 meters), decorated with pilasters and a curved ceiling. Ancestral tombs often resembled small apartments. Inside there were 2-3 sarcophagi, the bas-reliefs of which carried information about the life of the owner. But the owner himself was not inside; he was buried in a dungeon. You won't find embalmed corpses here. Recently, during the construction of an oil pipeline, they came across a tomb located under the floor of a non-preserved above-ground structure. Below was a crypt with three T-shaped passages. There were six rows of horizontal burial niches in the walls. Each was covered with a slab with a relief bust of the deceased. In total, three hundred and ninety burials were counted in this tomb. Big family? - it turned out not. The enterprising Palmyraans realized that building their own tomb would be expensive, so they sold the “seats” to other families.

However, among the Palmyrans there were those who did not want to “go underground.” They built themselves and their families high stone towers of 3-4 floors (one even five floors) with balconies. The tombs survived at an altitude of 18–20 meters and in large numbers descend into the valley along the slopes of the mountains. The wind howls in them around the clock, instilling fear in even the most reckless. Embalmed corpses once rested here, and here you will not find Greek or Roman inscriptions, everything is in Aramaic. They are located above the front door:

“The tomb was built at his own expense by Septimius Odaenathus, the most illustrious senator, son of Hairan, son of Bahaballat, son of Natsor, for himself and his sons and grandchildren forever, for the sake of eternal glory,”

But usually the Roman names of the deceased are not mentioned on the pediments of tombs.

"Alas! This is the image of Zabda, the son of Mokimo, his wife Baltihan, daughter Atafni.”

The images of the deceased - funerary sculptures - were sculpted in complete verisimilitude and with maximum expressiveness. Even the earrings were carved. There were also paintings made in the style of Fayum portraiture.

The balcony was built at the mid-height of the tower - with pilasters, columns and a roof. There was a bed on it, and on the bed lay a statue of the deceased.

The Yamlika Tower is considered one of the most architecturally remarkable tombs: its ceiling is blue like the sky.

The towers are the most ancient buildings in Palmyra, and they have survived the city. They were not touched by the fatal fate of the state, which existed for at least two thousand years, at the end of which it experienced a time of great glory, collapsed from an overestimation of its capabilities and left as a memory the captivating image of a queen no less powerful than Cleopatra. Here's how it happened.

Romans in the 3rd century BC. e. found an oligarchic republic in Palmyra. They did not change anything, either lacking the strength, or this situation suited them. However, closer to the 2nd century AD. e. Monarchical tendencies prevailed in the state: the Odaenat family came to the fore.

The first of the Odaenates received Roman citizenship during the reign of Septimius Severus (193–211). Naturally, he began to be called Septimius Odaenathus. The next Odaenathus is already a Roman consul. His son Septimius Hairan received (or appropriated) the title of "head of Palmyra" ("Ras Tadmor"). The son of Hairan, the husband of Queen Zenobia, known simply as Odenatus, was forced to become a politician and military leader, practically independent of Rome, for which the Romans themselves were primarily to blame. Their policy in the East was simply careless. Taking advantage of this, the Persian Shah of the Sassanid dynasty Shapur I occupied Armenia, Northern Mesopotamia, Syria and part of Asia Minor. Emperor Valerian opposed him, but in the Battle of Edessa the Romans suffered a crushing defeat, and the 70,000-strong army was captured. Valerian was captured with them, where he died some time later: there was no one to save or ransom him, the soldiers had already chosen another emperor.

The head of Palmyra, Odaenathus, managed to prevent the Persians from entering his territory; he even defeated several of Shapur’s advanced detachments. But Odaenathus had no intention of getting involved in a serious fight: flesh and blood of a trading people, he most of all wanted peace in order to calmly trade with both the Romans and the Persians. Shapur did not seem to notice him at all: he slowly retreated to the Euphrates with rich booty. Odaenathus sent Shapur a letter of submission. He didn't understand this:

Who is this Odaenathus who dared to write to his master? If he dares to mitigate the punishment awaiting him, then let him prostrate himself before me with his hands tied behind his back. If he does not do this, let him know that I will destroy him, his family, and his state!

Shapur threw Odenathus' gifts into the Euphrates.

What could Odaenathus do? After the death of other Syrian kings, he turned out to be the only de facto ruler of the Roman East and the remnants of the Roman legions. With the swords of these troops, he cleared the provinces of Asia and Syria from the Persians, and also, having crossed the Euphrates, captured the Mesopotamian cities of Nisibis and Carrhae. Twice he approached the Persian capital. The Roman Emperor Gallienus thanked Odaenathus and celebrated victorious triumphs for him.

In 267, Odaenathus fell at the hands of his own nephew. His eldest son Herod from his first marriage also died with him. Many felt that the nephew’s hand was guided by Odaenathus’s second wife, Zenobia. Later, this version was indirectly confirmed, since through dynastic manipulations, the title of vice-emperor and “leader of the Romans in the East” was given to the young son of Odaenathus and Zenobia, Vakha-ballat. Zenobia achieved regency rights, and Palmyra, which owned Syria, part of Asia Minor, Northern Mesopotamia and Northern Arabia, had a queen.

The Arabic name Zubaidat (literally “a woman with beautiful, thick and long hair”) was converted into the Greek Zenobia, which means “second guest” and was quite consistent with the status of the second wife. Moreover, Zenobia was not a native of Palmyra. She was born into a poor Bedouin family that roamed near the city. They say that at the time of Zenobia’s birth, all the planets were in the constellation Cancer, and Saturn was shining brightly in the sky. What does this mean? - It is better to consult astrologers. She was also called the beautiful Phoenician, gypsy, and Jew. Zenobia herself, without much embarrassment, traced her family lineage from the queens Dido, Cleopatra and Semiramis. It remains a mystery how Zenobia got into the circle of those in power. Why did the rulers of Palmyra notice her?

Contemporaries unanimously testify that she had extraordinary powers of psychic influence; in other words, she was a witch. Or a psychic, which is the same thing.

Many descriptions of Zenobia and her images have been preserved, including on bronze coins minted in Alexandria, which also submitted to the Palmyra queen. These coins are still found on the side of Syrian roads. The Roman historian Trebellius Pollio described it this way:

“She had all the qualities necessary for a great commander; carefully, but with amazing persistence, she carried out her plans; Strict towards the soldiers, she did not spare herself in the dangers and hardships of the war. Often at the head of her army she walked 3-4 miles. She was never seen in a litter, rarely in a chariot, and almost always on horseback. She combined military and political talents to varying degrees. She knew how to adapt to circumstances: the severity of a tyrant, the generosity and generosity of the best kings. Prudent in her campaigns, she surrounded herself with Persian luxury. She went out to the people’s assembly in purple clothes, covered in precious stones, with a helmet on her head.”

Slender, short in stature, with unusually sparkling eyes and dazzling teeth, dark in face and body, Zenobia captivated everyone with her beauty, whether on the Palmyra throne, on a military campaign, or at immoderate libations with her soldiers. She was not only a warrior, but also a philosopher. She knew Greek and Coptic, compiled an abridged work on the history of the East, and created a philosophical school of Neoplatonists in Palmyra, headed by the Greek philosopher Longinus. Having built herself a summer residence in Yabrud, she hid the first Christians there in caves. Her Bedouin relatives wandered there in the summer, and there she met a fortune teller who predicted her future successes, her betrayal of an old friend and the end of her life - in gold, but in poverty and shame.

Zenobia's religious and philosophical hobbies gave her a reason to quarrel with Shapur I, who was under the influence of Kartir, the head of the Persian magicians. Zenobia gathered a huge army and began to fight against the Persians with varying success.

Rome could no longer tolerate the strengthening of Palmyra in the East. Zenobia lost all sense of proportion. She officially declared independence from Rome, gave herself the title "Augusta", and named her son Augustus. - the name of the emperor. At the end of 270, Gallienus's heir, Emperor Aurelian, stopped negotiations with the envoys of Palmyra and returned Egypt, which Palmyra possessed “illegally.” Zenobia immediately made peace with Shapur, but it was too late to change anything. In 271, a huge Roman army moved to the East - through Asia Minor, the Taurus Mountains and the Cilician Gate. On the banks of the Orontes, the Palmyrans were defeated and retreated to Antioch. The Palmyra commander Zab-da spread a rumor in the city that the Roman army was defeated. They found a man who looked like Aurelian and led him through the streets for the amusement of the mob. Having thus gained time, the Palmyrans passed through Antioch unhindered. Aurelian followed them and soon approached the walls of Palmyra. The siege of the Fortified City began with large supplies of food and weapons. Aurelian reported to Rome: “I cannot describe to you, senatorial fathers, how many throwing machines, arrows and stones they have. There is not a single part of the wall that is not fortified with two or three ballistas.”

“Aurelian to Zenobia. Your life will be spared. You can spend it in some place where I place you. I will send your jewelry, silver, gold, silk, horses, camels to the Roman treasury. The laws and regulations of the Palmyrans will be respected."

“Zenobia to Aurelian. No one else but you has dared to ask for what you demand. What can be gained by war must be gained by valor. You ask me to give up, as if you are completely unaware that Queen Cleopatra chose to die rather than experience her greatness. The Persian allies we expect are not far away. The Saracens (Arabs) are on our side, just like the Armenians. The Syrian robbers, O Aurelian, defeated your army. What if these troops that we expect from all sides; will they come? So put your arrogance with which you now demand my surrender as if you were the winner everywhere.”

But the Allies were in no hurry. Palmyra would not have had enough strength for a long siege. The specter of famine loomed in the city, and illness began. On a dark night, Zenobia, taking with her her son Vahaoallat and several associates, secretly fled from the city, deceiving the Roman guard posts. They arrived on camels
to the Persian border and were already boarding a boat to cross the Euphrates when the chase overtook them. Zenobia was captured.

Having learned about this, the Palmyrans brought Aurelian the keys to the city. The Emperor dealt mercifully with Zenobia and Vahaballat. The city and townspeople were also not harmed. A trial was scheduled for Zenobia's associates and her military leaders. Many were executed, including the philosopher Longinus. He was betrayed by Zenobia herself: she refused to author the offensive letter to Aurelian, saying that it was written by a philosopher. This is how the fortune teller’s first prediction came true.

Aurelian was eager to go to Rome, he was impatient to celebrate his triumph. But a few months after Aurelian and his captive left Asia, the Palmyrans rebelled and killed the Roman garrison. This time Aurelian, returning with an army, gave the order to destroy the city. This happened in 272. Aurelian destroyed the communal structure of Palmyra, completely robbed the Temple of the Sun, transferring all the valuable decorations to the new Temple of the Sun, which he was building in Rome.

Zenobia, having lost her kingdom, having survived its ruin and death, did not commit suicide, like her “relative” Cleopatra, although she threatened in a letter. But Longinus wrote the letter, and he has been in Hades for a long time.

Once again her beauty shone brightly during the triumphal procession, when she was a captive, entangled in golden chains, in front of a line of carts with her own treasures, walking barefoot, with her hair flowing and throwing such glances at the crowd that many could not bear them and turned away. She spent the rest of her life in Rome, in the villa of her new husband, a Roman senator.

The destroyed Palmyra never rose again. The traders sent their caravans along other roads. Centuries have passed. The desert sands covered the blooming oasis: no one fought against them. The last inhabitants of Palmyra - the Arabs - huddled in mud huts in the courtyard of the Temple of the Sun. But these houses were eventually empty. Instantly and as if out of nowhere, the power that appeared under the Syrian sky just as suddenly crumbled. “Isn’t this a dream”?..

History of the city of Palmyra in Syria

Mentions of the city of Palmyra begin in the 19th century BC. Then the city was called Tadmor, and one of the villages near the ruins of the legendary city is also called today.

The city of Palmyra in Syria. Description

The city itself had an elliptical shape with a length of about two kilometers and a width of half that. The main monuments of the city of Palmyra, surrounded by walls, are well preserved. Even before the arrival of the Romans, two centers had formed in the city - cult and trade. Later, the road connecting them was linked by the Great Colonnade, which is the main attraction of ancient Palmyra. The kilometer-long street is 11 meters wide and is decorated on both sides with porticoes with two rows of columns. Currently, these ten-meter structures are quite damaged as a result of long-term sand work.

Colonnade

As you move along the street there are arched branches to side streets. In the central part of the road there is a triumphal arch, a dilapidated but no less impressive structure. At the end the street leads to the sanctuary of Bel.

Triumphal Arch

The Temple of Bel, built in 32 AD, was dedicated to the supreme local deity and was the main temple of the city. The largest structure in the old days contained a courtyard, pools, an altar and the temple building itself. Architecturally, it combines the influence of Roman and Oriental architecture.

Temple of Bel

The Temple of Baalshamin, dedicated to the god of heaven revered throughout Syria, is the second building of Palmyra. The typically Roman structure was completed in 131 AD. Both of these temples have been preserved almost completely and provide an opportunity to appreciate the skill of the builders of Palmyra. But the list of buildings does not end there.

Temple of Baalshamin

The Temple of Nabo is located near the triumphal arch. Opposite it are the ruins of Roman baths. There also remains part of the water supply leading to the thermal baths from nearby water sources. The theater and the Senate are located nearby. An agora was built next to the Senate - a square for trading or notifying the people.

Theater in Palmyra

Near the agora, the “Palmyra Tariff” was found - a massive slab 5 meters long containing decisions of the Senate on tariffs and taxes. Currently this slab is in the Hermitage of St. Petersburg.

As mentioned above, the later buildings include Diocletian’s camp. Now here in the central square are the ruins of the Temple of Banners, where the battle banners of the Romans used to be located. Behind Diocletian's camp there are walls, and then there are hills. On one of the hills is the Qalaat Ibn Maan fortress, built here by the Arabs in the Middle Ages. Here on the slopes there is a necropolis, represented by destroyed towers. Some of them were erected on hypogea - underground burial grounds.

Hills and towers near Palmyra

The former greatness of the city was buried by time. But now the city of Palmyra is regaining its former glory, becoming a major tourist center.