| Hama حماة | ||
 | ||
| State | Syria | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Oronte Valley | |
| Altitude | 289 m a.s.l. | |
| Inhabitants | 325.000 (2005) | |
| Prefix tel | 963 33 | |
Position
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| Institutional website | ||
Hama is a city of Syria, on the banks of the river Orontes.
To know
Famous for the norie, huge wooden wheels that draw water from the Orontes River, Hama is a quite unique place. It is also one of the most traditional cities in the Syria and it is unthinkable to take pictures of local women.
One of the most extremist currents of Sunni Islam developed in Hama, that of the gods Muslim Brothers contrary to Ba'ath party to power whose members all belong to the adverse current of Alauiti. The tensions between the two factions resulted in a real conflict and in 1982 the government army bombed the city causing numerous deaths and injuries. Today things seem to have died down and Hama appears calm with an increasing number of tourists who stop there.
Apart from the Norie there is not much to see in Hama as there are few vestiges of its long past. The city was inhabited since the Neolithic as archaeological excavations have shown. Subdued by the Assyrians she tried to rebel but was destroyed. In Hellenistic times it was known as Epiphany in honor of Antiochus IV, exponent of the Seleucid dynasty. It was also an important center at the time of Roman and Byzantine rule. The first nories date from the time of Saladin (1138 - 1193), champion of the Muslim recovery against the Crusader invaders.
Today Hama is the fourth largest city of Syria by population. Almost all of its inhabitants are employed in agriculture and sheep breeding. Their milk produces excellent yogurt and excellent butter.
How to orient yourself
Hama: full screen map.How to get
On the train
The train station is south of the center at a distance of about 2 km. Hama stands on the railway line Damascus-Aleppo, served by at least 4 trains a day.
How to get around
What see
- Azem Palace. Built around 1740 by the Pasha Assad al Azem, the then governor of Hama on behalf of the Sublime Porta, the palace remembers its namesake in Damascus albeit on a smaller scale and with less pomp. In the entrance courtyard there are fragments of ancient sculptures and a mosaic from the 4th century AD. depicting a lion found in the nearby village of Mariamin. Upstairs, on the other hand, traditional costumes and everyday objects are exhibited. It is also possible to visit the harem of the pasha and the hamam attached to the palace.
- Al Nuri Mosque. Erected in the second half of the 12th century, under the reign of Nur ad-Din, known in the West as Norandino, the Al Nuri mosque stands out for its high square-plan minaret overlooking the bank of the Orontes.
- Citadel (Al Qala'a). Nothing remains of the citadel of Hama which has returned abundant material from prolonged archaeological excavations which have shown that the place was inhabited since prehistoric times. Today the finds are exhibited in the archaeological museum while the top of the hill on which the citadel stood is a panoramic point of the city and the river below.
- Orthodox cathedral.
- Khan of the Pasha Rustum.
- Khan of the Pasha Assad.
- Archaeological Museum.
Events and parties
What to do
Shopping
How to have fun
Where to eat
Where stay
Moderate prices
- Hotel Riad, ☎ 963 33 239 512, fax: 963 33 517 776. Popular budget hotel. Very clean but noisy rooms. You can also sleep on the terrace under the stars together with other travelers. The manager is called Abdullah and he is an easy-going and affable type as shown in a video on youtube.
- Cairo hotels (Next to the Riad), ☎ 963 33 222 280, 963 33 237 206. 3 story hotel with spacious rooms, some with A / C and private bathroom. The back rooms are quieter. As the Riad hotel is very famous for which it is necessary to book
Average prices
- Noria hotels (Kuwaitli), ☎ 963 33 512414, fax: 963 33 511 715. The owners are the same as the Cairo hotel, but the rooms here cost twice as much.
High prices
- [link not working]Apamea Cham hotels, ☎ 963 33 525 335, 963 33 525 346, fax: 963 33 511 645, 963 33 511 626. Luxury hotel with 170 rooms. The best are those on the upper floors with magnificent views of the river, the norie and the Nur ad-Din mosque. The complex has an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts and parking. It is the only 5-star hotel in the city
Safety
Before embarking on the journey consult:
- Safe travel - Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Farnesina) (Country safety information).
