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MM212 Says: Apamea's legendary cardo maximus is the longest and most beautiful colonnaded avenue of Antiquity. This north-south axis extends 1.85 km and was once bordered by 1200 columns, of which only 400 have been re-erected thanks to the work of Belgian archaeologists in the past...
MM212 Says: Located just south of the eastern side of the main Decumanus (now a modern paved road), the Theatre of Apamea was once the largest in the Roman world. It was built in the 2nd century AD against the sloping hill and its diameter measured 139 metres, much larger than the...
MM212 Says: This beautiful Propylaeum rises from within the rows of columns in the northern section of the cardo maximus. The purpose of the Propylaeum is uncertain but is thought to have marked the entrance to an important palace or temple.
iwys Says: Apamea's museum is housed in a 16th century khan. It contains an impressive collection of Byzantine mosaics removed from the floors of the city's buildings, including the cathedral. There are also stone sarcophagi and funerary stelae.Its opening hours are slightly eccentric....
MM212 Says: Just north of the east side of the Decumanus (the modern paved road) is a group of Roman Villas. The three villas, known as the House of the Consoles, House of the Pilasters, and House of Graffiti, were excavated and partially reconstructed in the 1970s. The most intact is...
MM212 Says: A little to the south of the Cistern is what seems to be recently excavated structures. It looks as though they might have been residences, complete with multiple chambers and a staircase. Clearly this is an example of how much more lies beneath the grassy fields on either...
MM212 Says: Located just south-east of the Gate of Antioch are the remains of the Cistern - a water storage structure for the city of Apamea. Water was then distributed to the entire city through a complex network of water pipes. Some of these clay water pipes can be seen in the area...
MM212 Says: The city of Apamea covers an area larger than that of intra-mural Old Damascus. Much like Damascus, Apamea was protected by a city wall that circled the city. The northern and western sections of this wall are very well preserved and still show the square bastions that...
MM212 Says: Located east of the Cardo Maximus, just north of the ticket booth, are the ruins of a Nymphaeum. It was a public water fountain within an exedra decorated with statues, though none of the statues remain onsite.
MM212 Says: The Ottoman-period mosque was built in the 16th century using stones from the Roman ruins of Apamea. It is located at the foothill of the citadel mound, just above the Khan, and was used by the pilgrims staying at the caravanserai on their way to Mecca.
MM212 Says: The Apamea museum is housed in an Ottoman khan (caravanserai) located in the town below Apamea. The khan was built in the 16th century, with stones from the ruins of Apamea, and was used as a resting stop for pilgrims travelling from Turkey to Mecca. On my first visit to...
MM212 Says: Rising 1500 metres, Ansariyeh Mountains are the northern extension of the Lebanon Mountain chain. They rise like a wall blocking inner Syria from the Mediterranean and form a beautiful backdrop to the fertile Orontes Valley. Apamea is graced with an unobstructed view of the...
MM212 Says: Apamea strategically sits on a hill overlooking the flood plain of the Orontes River, called al-Ghab in Arabic. The valley is one of the most fertile regions in Syria, thanks to the drainage system developed decades ago to prevent the seasonal flooding that used to drown the...
MM212 Says: Apamea is located an hour north-west of the city of Hama, and about 2 hours south-west of Aleppo. It is best reached by private car, so whether one is staying in Aleppo or Hama, one must ask the hotel to arrange for a car and a driver. From either direction, the road is...
iwys Says: Apamea can be reached by microbus. I took a bus from Aleppo to Hama, which cost S£85 (There are also frequent buses from Damascus to Hama). Then I took a taxi to Hama's microbus station, which is on Sharia Salah-uh-din, about a 15-minute walk to the south-west of the city....
MM212 Says: These lovely locals on motorcycles wait all day for the few tourists to arrive. They are sure to approach each one of them yelling: "Antique, antique!" while stretching out a hand to show the supposedly authentic Roman coins found in Apamea. Shukran, but no thanks!
iwys Says: Well, actually I suppose this is very much a beaten path tip. If you look down at the paving stones along the cardo maximus, you can still see the ruts worn by the wheels of chariots way back in the 2nd century AD. Another place where I have seen these is the Roman city of...
iwys Says: If you don't go walk a little off the beaten path, you will miss one of the highlights of Apamea: the stone reliefs of Bacchus. You need to clamber down to the right of the cardo maximus, about half-way up from the ticket office.You will see three big stone slabs - two at...
iwys Says: Many of the mosaics taken from the floors of Palmyra's buildings are on display in the museum. As this a fertile area, with a lot of wildlife, many of them depict animals and birds. Don't feel too bad about them being removed from their original locations. If they are...
coceng Says: If you have your own car or maybe asking somebody to drive for you, the valley around Apamea or rather around hamah is breath taking...We pass through some lush valleys with green vegetations along the way especially from Hamah to Apamea...MORE PHOTOS...
Plan a Apamea vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Apamea locals
Apamea is a town full of columns with so many decorations and flutings All the capitals were elegant Corinthian types , and columns with twisted moldings at the...
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Apamea is one of the great ancient cities of the Middle East. It was founded in the 3rd century BC by a former general of Alexander the Great, the first Seleucid king, Seleucus I Nicator , who named...
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One of Syria's most impressive ancient sites, Apamea possesses the longest colonnaded avenue surviving from the Roman world. Apamea traces its roots to the Persians who, during the Achaemenid Empire's...
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Apamea , An abandoned town with glorious history
It was just a field , and then was discovered , now it’s an important site . All the town was collapsed and covered by earth and since then the rebuilding of the city began gradually piece by piece ,...
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This beautiful ancient Hellenistic city is exist since neolitic period. It was the capitol city of Seleucus time. There were 500.00 people. Colonnaded avenue is 1850 meters long. There were neo...
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Apamea - Is it the best or 2nd best ruins in syria
Apamea is considered as one of the unmissable highlights of Syria, if it weren’t for the unsurpassable magnificence of Palmyra. Apamea is like a condensed version of Zenobia’s pink sandstone desert......
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