Homs: a Syrian Treasure of Tourism

Homs is one of the richest Syrian governorates in historical and tourist sites. The largest in area, Homs is characterized by geographical diversity the Steppe (the Badia), the mountains, the forests and the rivers. One of its most important historical sites is Palmyra with its huge wealth of ruins, its famous queen, Zenoubia, and its cultural heritage left behind which, one day gave Rome the best of its emperors, the art of architecture and many of its fashions and traditions Because of the important location of Homs, many battles took place on its land,

most famous of them is the Battle of Qadesh whose epigraphies still ornament the walls of al Karnak Temple in Egypt,

and whose site still keeps many secrets of the past In Homs we can find the kingdoms of Qatana, Tall Biseh and al Rastan.

The Crack des Chevaliers is still the most preserved fortification that controlled the trade routes, in addition to the citadel of Homs and the citadel of Palmyra. In Homs Alexander the great stood astonished by the civilization of the city, and the Roman emperor Claudius said: “I feel terribly ashamed whenever I hear that the best of my leaders were enlisted in the armies of Queen Zenoubia. The historian Gregory the Nestorian said that when the archbishop of Berlin died, a Syrian merchant from Homs replaced him, we should never forget the messengers of Homs to the new world. Many expatriates left Homs, namely from the villages of al Wadi, Zaidal, Fairouza and Marmarita, to live in the Americas.

In Homs we can find many tombs of the companions of the prophet Mohammad like Khaled Bin al Walid as well as shrines of Christian saints like the Monastery of Mar Elian,the Church of the Belt, where the belt of Mary the Virgin is said to be kept, and the Shrine of Mar Elias in Jayousa.

To speak about hot mineral water sources we should mention al Sokhna, Afqa in Palmyra, and the sulfuric water source in al Qariatin. To speak about summer resorts, we should not forget al Houla, Qadesha Lake, al Rastan, Maramrita and al Qusair. Many poets were buried in Homs like Abou Firas al Hamadani and Abou alDardaa. Unfortunately the governorate of Homs still has many historical sites that are still not being excavated.

Haifaa Mafalani