It is 160 km north of Damascus. Its ancient name is Emassa. It witnessed many civilizations such as: the Aramaeans, Persians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Muslim Arabs etc. It flourished during the Roman period, because some emperors originated from Homs  ruled the Roman Empire such as (Elagabal & Alexander Severus etc).  Now Homs is an industrial city. The most important sites & places are: Ibn Al-Walid Mosque (the Shrine of the great Arab Leader Khaled Ibn Al-Walid), Ancient Churches (the Virgins Belt Church & St. Elian Church), the local Museum, and Ancient Palmyra & Umayyad Palaces (in Homs countryside).

Hama:

It is 200 km north of Damascus, and 140 km south of Aleppo. It is an old timeless city famed by its Norias, the huge wooden waterwheel that has scooping water from the Orontes and pouring it into irrigation canals for centuries. It witnessed many civilizations such as: the Aramaeans, Persians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Mulism Arabs etc. It flourished during the Aramaic period, and Islamic Arab periods. The most important sites & places are: the  Grand Mosque, Sultan Nurdin Mosque, the local Museum, the ancient Noriases, and Apamea Site (in Hama countryside) etc.

It is 186 km southwest of Aleppo. It is one of the 5^th cities built by Seleucos Nicator in the 3^rd century BC. Today, it is a principal port on the Mediterranean, and a starting point for excursions to summer resorts, medieval castles and archeological sites in the surrounding mountains and the coastal area. It witnessed many civilizations such as: the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Muslim Arabs etc. It flourished during the Phoenician period, Hellenistic period, and Islamic Arab periods. The most important sites: Khan Al-Dukhan (Museum of Latakia), the Roman Big Arch & Bacchus Pillars, Ancient Ugarit Site (at 13 km from Latakia), and Saladin Castle (at 33 km from Latakia) etc.

Tartous:

It is 90 km south of Latakia. Its seaport is the second one in Syria. It was called Antaradus by the Phoenicians and Tortusa by the Byzantines. Turtusa was one of the main supplies for the Crusaders and a military base of considerable importance. It was held by the Templars, but recovered by Saladin in 1188 AD. Its arches, wall, towers, and narrow lanes evoke what the town was in the medieval times. The most important sites & resorts are: Tartous Cathedral (Museum of Tartous), the remaining of City Wall, Arwad Island (3 km from Tartous), Draykish (29 km from Tartous), Safita (35 km east of Tartous), Hosn Sleiman (a temple dedicated to Baal & Astarte, at 25 km from Safita), Qalaat Arima (15 km southwest of Safita), Qalaat Yahmur (20 km west of Safita), Mashta Al-Helu, Qalaat Al-Marqab (6 km southeast of Banyas), and Amrit Site (6 km south of Tartus) etc.

Deir Ezzor:

Principal Tourist Sites & Castles:

Bosra:

It is 145 km south of Damascus, and at 40 km southeast of Daraa. It flourished during the Nabatean, Roman, and Islamic Arab periods etc. It was a caravan city. Its important ruins are represented by:( Roman baths & Arch of Triumph, Nabatean Temple, Bahira Church, Cathedral, Al-Mabrak Mosque, Omari  Mosque, Roman Theatre & Arabic Citadel, and remains of wall etc). Its Roman Theatre is one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman amphitheaters in the world. It dates back to 2^nd century AD, and accommodates 15.000 audiences.

Shahba:

Shahba is the birthplace of Emperor Philip the Arab who ruled Rome in the mid of the 3^rd century AD. He built Shahba to be like Rome in 244 AD. In Shahba, you can see the ancient gates, theatre, baths, temples, and local museum, which contains statues and the most wonderful mosaic panels in the world.

Palmyra:

It is 210 km northeast of Damascus, and 150 km east of Homs. Palmyra is in the heart of the Syrian Desert, and it is often described as the bride of the desert. It was a caravan city on the Silk Road. It was extended and flourished during the rule of Queen Zenobia in the 3^rd century AD. In 274 AD, the Roman Emperor Aurelian defeated Queen Zenobia, and destroyed its kingdom. In addition, the city witnessed many earthquakes later on. Its important ruins & places are represented by: (Bel Temple, the Arch of Triumph, the Amphitheatre, Zenobia baths, the Colonnaded Street, the Congress Council, the Tower & Underground Tombs, Agora, Temple of Nabo, Temple of Baalshamin, Museum, and Fakhre Al-Din Al-Mani Citadel) etc.

It is 65 km west of Homs. It is the most famous castle in the middle ages. It stands proudly on a volcanic crater, overlooking the Bekaa plain, Homs and Latakia mountains. This castle tells us the story of two centuries of bloody and wild struggle ended by liberating it in 1271 by Sultan Zaher Baybars who rebuilt its ruined parts and added other fortified constructions and towers.

Apamea:

Seleucos I,  he was one of the Alexander the Great's generals. He founded Apamea in the 2nd century BC. It remained prosperous till the Byzantine period, and sacked by Persians in the years (540 & 612) AD. In 1157AD, an earthquake destroyed it. Now it is famous for its Roman Theatre, Colonnaded Street, Monumental Arch, Agora, Roman Bath and the Antioch Gate etc.

Ebla: (Tel Mardikh)

It is 28 km southeast of Idleb, and 45 km south of Aleppo. Ebla became the most important political and cultural center in Syria between (2400-2300) BC, which provoked the jealousy of Sargon who destroyed it later. Soon afterwards, it was rebuilt once again and regained its strength between (2000-1800) BC. In 1964 AD, the Italian mission discovered Ebla City with its temples, palaces, quarters, and unearthed more than 17000 tablets written in cuneiform characters. Among these was the world earliest bilingual dictionary. The archaeologists have assured that Ebla language was the oldest Semite written language in Syria.

Maaret Al-Nuaman:

It is 81 km from Aleppo. It is famous by its old souqs, mosques, citadel, Al-Nouriyeh Madrassa (12^th century AD), Museum (contains rare Byzantine mosaics) , and the Shrine of the Caliph Omar Bin Abdul Al-Aziz, and the Shrine of the famous poet Abu Al-Allaa Al-Maari.

Qalaat Samaan /St. Simeon Cathedral:

It is 60 km north of Aleppo. It was built in the 5^th century AD after the death of St. Simeon who spent 42 years on a pillar-preaching people. He lived retiring from this world. His reputation of holiness and wisdom reached to the west, north of Armenia, and east of Persia. This wonderful cathedral was built by the Syrian architectures and imitated in Europe three centuries later.

Tel Ain Dara:

It is 60 km north of Aleppo, and 7 km south of Afrin Town. It was discovered in Tel Ain Dara, remains turning back to Aramaic, Hellenistic, Byzantine, and Islamic periods. The most important discovery was a large Aramaic Temple turns back to 1^st millenary BC. You will find at 600 meters of this Tel, the Spring of Ain Dara.

Al-Marqab Citadel:

Amrit:

It is 6 km south of Tartous. It is 500 meters high above the sea level, and at 700 meters far from the Mediterranean Sea. Amrit Site was lived by the Amorites in the 3^rd millennium BC. The ruins of Amrit are turning back to the 6^th & 5^th centuries BC, except Tel Amrit, which contains in his layers some remains turning back to the Amorite period till the Persian period. Amrit contains a unique temple, carved in the rock, and was surrounded by water, dating back to the 5^th century BC. Amrit also contains a Stadium, which could seat 11000 spectators, dating back to 16^th century BC. The ancient Syrians used the Stadium for their sport seasons, a practice which was adopted by the Greeks after 8 centuries and called it (The Olympic Games). In addition, you can find in Amrit Site, Funeral Monuments (They are called by local people, Al-Maghazels).

Ugarit: (Ras Shamra)