A Seleucid Miracle Called

Afamia

A dramatic contradiction occurs between the grey stones and the fertile emerald green meadows, so the place became a strategic center and an eternal symbol, especially that the prominent coastal mountains create a magic back ground for this scenery, while the plains of alGhab and the Orontes Valley surrounds it like a bracelet holding a precious jewel. Therefore it was natural for the Seleucids, grand children of Alexander the Great, to chose this place and make of it a wonder of time and a metropolis to the whole East. It is 250km north east of Damascus.

It is eternal Afamia which became a cross road for the kingdoms of the East, and received great emperors like Cleopatra, Septimus Severus, and Caracalla, and the fame of its (Temple of Bel) reached Southern France.

 Afamia was also famous for its wine mixed with honey. In its last days it turned into an important center of Christianity. Now it seems that it is time for Afamia to regain its golden age, and all it needs is some care and interest to put it at the top of the list of the most beautiful and greatest cities of the past, and to change the face of the region by attracting thousands of tourists and lovers of beauty from all over the world.

A glorious history

Historian Yaqout alHamwi described it saying: “It is a great old city built on a height of land with a beautiful lake penetrated by River Orontes”. In early times it was called Varnak, then Alexander the Great named it Pella after his native city and metropolis of his father Philip.

Historian Estragon said that after the death of Alexander, Afamia was ruled by Seleucus Nicator I one of his generals and founder of the Seleucid State, who turned it into a military academy for his cavaliers. And because it was fertile he brought five hundred Indian elephants, and thirty thousand horses to it.

The city remained prosperous until it fell to the Persian king Kisro 573 AD who burnt it to ashes saving only its citadel built over a hill south west of the city, now know as Mudiq Citadel.

Afamia is one of three cities bearing the same name. It is located north west of Syria, 51km from Hama. It was subject to seven earthquakes which destroyed it completely. It is 2.5 square kilometers in area, and its population in the year 0007Ad were half a million people. The city was protected by a stone wall seven kilometers long which was unearthed in the eighties of the 20th. century.

Excavations in the site were started in 1928 by a Belgian mission which succeeded in drawing the plan of the city and revealing its Hellenistic and Roman remains as well as boards, rare mosaics and an aqueduct network, statues and beautiful sculptures and cemeteries, in addition to the largest amphitheater known in old times, as well as public squares and Roman colonnades.

The Colonnade

Afamia’s colonnade (Cardo Maximus) is considered one of most beautiful in the history of architecture. In 1846 W.M. Thomson described it, but in 1880 -1900 AD archaeologists Zakho and Butler were the first to draw its plan when they put complete schemas of the streets, palaces, and churches of Afamia, where to be offered from the citizens of Afamia to the invading Persian monarch in 540 AD in order to save it from destruction.

Afamia’s colonnade is 1850m long and has sidewalks 20m wide. It is surrounded by several smaller colonnades. It was built during the Hellenistic period but completed during the Roman rule of Septimus Severus. Its columns are topped with Corinthian capitals and brackets holding statues of the emperors who ruled the city. The street was submitted to15 years long restoration works which ended in 1998 by lifting more than 400 columns to their original places. Mudiq Citadel It was built during the Hellenistic period over a spacious hill west of the Orontes Valley and alGhab plains and east on the plain extending to Khan Sheikhoun. Its location expresses its importance in defending the area by closing the gaps leading to the inner land especially Hama and Aleppo. The citadel proved to be effective during the Crusades when it was occupied by the Hospitaliers until it was liberated by King Noureddin Mahmoud.

The Islamic Khan

It is one of the largest khans in Syria. It is 80m long built in the valley descending from Mudiq Citadel. it was built by Sinan Pacha in the 16th century to be used as a station for the pilgrims and Turkish merchants on their way from Istanbul to Holy Mecca. The khan is now used a museum displaying valuable items most important of them are the mosaics discovered in Afamia and its vicinity. If the custodian of the museum is in good mood he would open all the doors to the visitors otherwise visitors will have to look through the iron net to enjoy watching the wonderful mosaics as well as the funerary sculptures which reflect the nature of life of ancient Afamians.

The largest amphitheater

This theater is not less important than similar Roman amphitheaters in the world. It is 139m in diameter making of it the largest of the ancient world. It was built west of the city on the Hellenistic wall, opposite of the Acropolis with an eastern faÁade at the level of the ground. The theater was built along the Roman style but it is now in a bad shape because its stones were transferred to the valley to be used in building the khan.

Other discoveries

In late 1997 he Belgian mission discovered an important arch built by the Romans in the square of the northern gate. It was built on 3m base. The same mission discovered the decorations of that arch which indicate that large parts of them are still buried in the earth. The arch was dedicated to the governor and senate of the city Omedius Dormius Qadratus in Cassino- Italy who ruled Syria during the rule of Emperor Claudius and the first years of Nero 51- 60 AD. The arch continued standing until the last years of the city in spite of the earthquakes which destroyed it.

Many of the residents of the region visit the ruins and whenever they see tourists they invite them for tea or coffee and feel pleased to take photos with them and even to invite them to their homes built inside the citadel. A visit to Afamai will never be forgotten since strolling along the colonnade with its huge votive columns is like walking in a corridor of eternity. Add to that the greenery, the magic scenery of the mountains, and the sedate calm of the grey stones which gave the mind an opportunity for meditation imagining how people three thousand years ago, could make such a memorable place.

Haifaa Mafalani