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Palmyra

Type Object Region Syria Time c. 1–500

Palmyra, an oasis in the Syrian Desert, was a trade hub linking the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia in the 1st–3rd centuries CE, famed for the Palmyren…

Timeline

  1. c. 1–200Palmyra · PalmyraAround the turn of the era Palmyra controlled the Syrian Desert trade routes as a Roman client state; caravans transshipped eastern spices, silk, and western goods to Mediterranean ports, and the city's wealth grew rapidly.
  2. c. 200–273Palmyra · PalmyraIn the 3rd century Palmyra's colonnaded street, Temple of Bel, and necropolis were built; Queen Zenobia briefly established a realm spanning Western Asia, and the city's architecture and art reached their zenith.
  3. c. 273–500Palmyra · PalmyraAfter Rome recovered Palmyra the city retained its oasis trade function; in the 4th–5th centuries it maintained its role as a trade-route relay between Byzantine and Sasanian powers, with some ancient monuments continuing in use and being remodeled.

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