An important gateway linking the East and West, Palmyra grew wealthy on trade along the Silk Road. Ethnically diverse, including Aramaic, Arabic and Amorite peoples, Palymra reached its zenith in the late Third Century AD after their defeat of the Persian King Shapur I under Odaenathus and the accession of Zenobia, who famously proclaimed independence and set up the Palmyrene Empire.

At its height Palmyra had a population of 200,000 people who invested their wealth in its urban infrastructure, including its immense agora, its Temple of Bel and Baalshamin and a plethora of buildings which are distinctive not only in size but architecturally. Caught in the ongoing, tragic civil war, Palmyra was famously partially destroyed by ISIL forces who seriously damaged about 20-30% of the site, including the Temple of Baal and the Tetrapylon. While there are plans to restore the city, work can’t begin until the cessation of the war. Until then, Palmyra remains a city lost to the world.