During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, Palmyra (Tadmor, in Arabic), which is in central Syria, was an important caravan city, reaching its zenith in the second and third centuries C.E. On the border between the Roman and Parthian empires, Palmyra stood at a crossroads of cultures and religions. The artifacts and surviving buildings testify to this cultural and religious diversity. In the 17th century, Western travelers began visiting and recording the ancient ruins of Palmyra. Notably, French artist and architect Louis-François Cassas made detailed etchings of the oasis city in 1785, and French naval lieutenant Louis Vignes took photographs […]
