Palmyra (modern)
Tadmur
تدمر | |
|---|---|
 The modern town of Tadmur | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Homs |
| District | Tadmur |
| Subdistrict | Tadmur |
| Elevation | 405 m (1,329 ft) |
| Population (2004 census)[1] | |
| • Total | 140,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | 31 |
Tadmur (Arabic: تدمر; also spelled Tadmor and Tudmur; ancient Palmyra) is a city in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate. It is located in an oasis in the middle of the Syrian Desert 215 km northeast of Damascus[2] and 180 km southwest of the Euphrates River. The ancient ruins of Palmyra are situated about 500 meters southwest of Tadmur.[3] Relatively isolated, the nearest localities include Arak to the east, al-Sukhnah further to the northeast, Tiyas to the west and al-Qaryatayn to the southwest.
Tadmur is the administrative center of the Tadmur District and the Tadmur Subdistrict. According to the Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the city had a population of 51,323 and the subdistrict a population of 55,062 in the 2004 census.[1] Tadmur's inhabitants were recorded to be Sunni Muslims in 1838.[4] During the Syrian Civil War, the city's population significantly increased due to the influx of internally-displaced refugees from other parts of the country.[5]
History
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In 1929, Henri Arnold Seyrig, the general director of antiquities in Syria, started excavating the ruins of Palmyra and convinced the villagers to relocate into the newly built village, adjacent to the ancient site.[6] The relocation was completed in 1932,[7] making the ancient Palmyra ready for excavations,[6] while the villagers settled in the new village called Tadmur.[8]
On May 13, 2015, the terrorist organization Islamic State launched an attack on the modern town, raising fears that the iconoclastic group would destroy the historic city.[9] It was reported on May 21 that Islamic State forces had entered the area of the World Heritage Site itself.[10]
Economy
Tadmur is the modern settlement of the ancient city of Palmyra, which developed adjacently to the north of the ancient ruins.[11] The modern city is built along a grid pattern. Quwatli Street is the main road and runs east-west, starting from the Saahat al-Ra'is Square on the western edge of the town.[3] The city currently serves as a base for tourists visiting the ruins.[11] It has a museum in the southwestern part of the city.[3] Syria holds an annual cultural festival in Tadmur celebrating the city's ancient heritage.[12] The Palmyra Airport is located in Tadmur. The city is also home to the Tadmur Prison, which has historically held numerous opponents of the various Syrian governments.[5]
Tadmur also serves as a center for Syria's phosphate mining and natural gas industries.[11] The first phosphate mine run by the government was established near Tadmur and started production in 1971.[13] Work to connect Tadmur's phosphate mines to the port of Tartus began in 1978.[14] In 1986 Soviet surveyors discovered large iron ore deposits in the vicinity of Tadmur.[15]
Climate
| Climate data for Palmyra | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 12.1 (53.8) |
14.7 (58.5) |
19.4 (66.9) |
25.2 (77.4) |
30.7 (87.3) |
35.4 (95.7) |
38.1 (100.6) |
37.9 (100.2) |
34.4 (93.9) |
28.3 (82.9) |
19.9 (67.8) |
13.5 (56.3) |
25.8 (78.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) |
3.8 (38.8) |
6.9 (44.4) |
11.5 (52.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
19.8 (67.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
21.6 (70.9) |
19.1 (66.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
7.7 (45.9) |
3.5 (38.3) |
12.3 (54.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 20.8 (0.82) |
18.4 (0.72) |
21.2 (0.83) |
18.3 (0.72) |
8.2 (0.32) |
0.4 (0.02) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.3 (0.01) |
8.8 (0.35) |
16.1 (0.63) |
20.2 (0.80) |
132.7 (5.22) |
| Average precipitation days | 7 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 44 |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization | |||||||||||||
References
- ^ a b General Census of Population and Housing 2004. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Homs Governorate. Template:Ar icon
- ^ Syria uncovers 'largest church' BBC News Online, 14 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-16.
- ^ a b c Carter, p. 205.
- ^ Smith, 1841, p. 174.
- ^ a b Barnard, Anne; Saad, Hwaida (2015-05-20). newer figures sggest the population of Tadmur is now around 140,000 due to influx of refugees from Homs and Der-ez-zor.html?_r=0 "ISIS Fighters Seize Control of Syrian City of Palmyra, and Ancient Ruins". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-05-20.
{{cite news}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ a b Diana Darke (2010). Syria. p. 257.
- ^ Richard Stoneman (1994). Palmyra and Its Empire: Zenobia's Revolt Against Rome. p. 12.
- ^ H. T. Bakker (1987). Iconography of Religions. p. 4.
- ^ "Palmyra: Will ISIS bulldoze ancient Syrian city?". CNN. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
- ^ "Islamic State seizes Syria's ancient Palmyra". BBC News. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ a b c Knowles, 2006.
- ^ Cavendish, p. 439.
- ^ Federal Research Division, p. 169.
- ^ Federal Research Division, p. 194.
- ^ Federal Research Division, p. 170.
Bibliography
- Carter, Terry (2008). Syria and Lebanon 3. Lonely Planet. ISBN 1741046092.
- Federal Research Division (1988). Syria: A Country Study.
- Smith, Eli; Robinson, Edward (1841). Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea: A Journal of Travels in the Year 1838. Vol. 3. Crocker and Brewster.
