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HAMA
HAMA IS A VERY ANCIENT
CITY WHICH HAS KNOWN MOST OF THE SUCCESSIVE CIVILZATIONS OF SYRIA . IT WAS A
PROSPEROUS KINGDOM DURING THE ARMIAN AGE. THE CITY IS FAMOUS FOR ITS NUMEROUS
WATERWEELS ( NORIAHS) WHICH WERE BUILT BY ITS INHABITANTS DURING THE ROMAN AND
SELEUCIDE AGES TO IRRIGATE ITS LAND AND THE NEARBY PLAINS. THEREFORE, THE CITY
WAS SURROUNDED BY RICH ORCHARDS. THE MOST IMPORTANT RUINS OF HAMA , OTHER THAN
THE WATER WHEELS ARE ; AL JAMI`AL KABIR ( THE GREAT MOSQUE) DATING BACK TO THE
14TH CENTURY. ANOTHER MOSQUE IS THAT OF ABULFIDA, THE FAMOUS ARAB
GEOGRAPHER AND HISTORIAN, WITH WHOSE NAME THE CITY IS OFTEN LINKED. A THIRD
MOSQUE IS AL NOURI MOSQUE. THERE IS ALSO THE AZEM PALACE WHICH WAS BUILT BY THE
GOVERNOR OF HAMA IN THE 18TH CENTURY A.D. THE PALACE IS NOW A MUSEUM
OF TRADITIONAL ARTS.
AFAMIA
( APAMEA ) AND QAL`AATL`MADIEQ
( MADIEQ CITADEL )
APAMEA WAS BUILT BY SALUQOS NIKATOR, THE FIRST KING OF THE
SELEUCIDS IN SYRIA IN 300 B.C. HE NAMED IT AFTER HIS WIFE APAMIA . THE CITY
FLOURISHED TO AN EXTENT THAT ITS POPULATION NUMBERED HALF A MILLION IN THE EARLY
DAYS OF CHRISTIANITY . MOST OF THE UNCOVERED RUINS IN IT DATE BACK TO THE ROMAN
AND BYZANTINE AGES. IT IS DISTINGUISHED FOR ITS LONG WALLS, ITS MAIN STREET AND
ITS THEATRE, ONE OF THE GREATEST ANCIENT THEATRES KNOWN IN THE WORLD. TO THE
WEST OF APAMEA STANDS THE MADIEQ CITADEL. IT HAS HUGE TOWERS OVERLOOKING THE
GHAB PLAIN. THE CITADEL WITNESSED FIERCE BATTLES DURING THE CRUSADES UNTIL NUR
ALDIN FINALLY CONQUERED IT IN 1149 A.D. THE CITADEL HAS A KHAN BUILT BY THE
OTTOMAN. IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A MUSEUM WHICH HOUSES APAMEA
RUINS AND MOSAICS. |
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