Climate and Environment of Palmyra and the Syrian Desert

Abstract A significant part of Palmyra’s claim to fame both in antiquity and today rests on the apparent contradiction of a flourishing city located deep in the remote and arid region known as the Syrian Desert. In fact, the possibilities and restraints imposed by Palmyra’s geographical situation provide parts of the key to understanding other aspects of Palmyrene history, including the city’s rise to importance in the trade between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean and the hybrid sociopolitical organization argued by many scholars. This chapter addresses the natural environment of Palmyra and the surrounding region from a historical perspective, including climate and landforms, with brief discussions of their implications for subsistence, trade, and communication.