Apamea is located on
the right bank of the Orontes river about 55 km to the north west of
Hama. It overlooks the Ghab valley and was built by Seleucus Nicator,
the first king of the Seleucids in Syria in 300 BC. He named it after
his parisian wife, Afamea.
The city flourished to
an extent that its population numbered half a million. As an Eastern
crossroads, it received many distinguished visitors: Cleopetra, Septimus
Severus and the Emperor Caracalla.
In the Christian era,
Apamea became a center of philosophy and thought, especially of
Monophostism.
Most of the uncovered
ruins in it date back to the Roman and Byzantine ages. It is
distinguished for its high walls and the main thoroughfare surrounded by
columns with twisted fluting. The street is 1850 meters long and 87
meters wide. The ruins of the Roman theater which have been frequently
disturbed, are now a great mass of stone.
Its colonnade (The
Cardo Maximus) is 145 meters long. Erected in the 2nd century, it was
destroyed in the 12th century by two violent earthquakes; some columns
are still standing nevertheless.
To the west of the
city, stands the Mudiq citadel, which once formed a defense line along
the Orontes.
Fierce battles with
Crusaders attempting to conquer it took place in the 12th century, and
Nour Eddin finally surrendered it in 1149.
The citadel has
huge towers, overlooking the Ghab valley. It also has a Khan (Inn) built
by Ottomans in the 16th century which was transformed into an
archaeological museum housing Apamea's wonderful mosaics, paintings, and
15,000 cuneiform clay tablets.
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