//
Photo: James Gordon from Los Angeles, California, USA, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Great Colonnade at Palmyra was the main colonnaded avenue in the ancient city of Palmyra in the Syrian Desert. The colonnade was built in several stages during the second and third century CE and stretched for more than a kilometer. It linked the Temple of Bel, in the southeastern end of the city, to the West Gate and the Funerary Temple in the northwestern part.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Founded in 32 AD and dedicated to the Mesopotamian god Bel. While severely damaged in 2015 and the main building destroyed, its exterior walls and gate still stood.
See the external link for the GPS track of the route. The route was relatively short, so could be run several times to get more distance in. It was on a wide and well lit sidewalk. It was suitable even for a night run in December as it got dark early.
See the external link for the GPS track of the route. This loop ran from the middle of town up to Palmyra castle to view the sunrise or sunset. The first half of this loop was on sidewalk and paved road. The second half, descending from the castle, was on a trail going through the Great Colonnade.
Damaged during the Civil war, closed as of Dec25.
قلعة فخر الدين المعني
A castle built by the Mamluks in the 13th century. While damaged in the conflict, the castle is still structurally intact.