Description: Aphamea is one of the most visited sights in Syria along with
Krak Des Chavaliers and
Palmyra, and for good reason. Its 2km long colonnaded street is one of the most singularly spectacular Roman monuments in the world. More intact and better restored than similar streets of such sights as Ephesus, Jerash, and Palmyra, it is a must-see for all visitors to Syria. Unfortunately, because of its popularity, it suffers all the ills of a major sight. Tour buses pile up in the parking lot, unloading group after group of Italian and French tourists and their guides, but perhaps more annoying are the local touts who buzz through the ruins on their motorbikes calling to each "Monsieur" or "Madame" they see with the hope of unloading some "antiques" or "Roman" coins. However, if you time it just right and have a just a bit of luck, you can find the ruins hidden deep in a thick layer of morning fog and have almost the whole place to yourself.
The great thing about the ruins is that, since they are not gated, you can show up whenever you want. The ticket office doesn’t open until 8am, and if you arrive before then, the ticket man will track you down sooner or later, so there is nothing to worry about. The way to do Aphamea is certainly to get there as early as possible. It is no more than 45 minutes from Hama, so arriving around 8am is not to tall of a task. The advantage of doing this is that you will miss most of the crowds and the touts (all late-risers), and even more spectacularly, you have the chance of catching the ruins hidden in the morning fog typical of the al-Ghab plains. The ruins themselves really don’t need much help in making themselves any more spectacular, but when the fog rolls in and covers the ugly houses in the distance, you can stroll along the colonnaded street unbothered, listening perhaps to the soft hum of a water pump nearby with each new section of columns popping out of the fog to greet you.
It is in a time like this that you can really let yourself go and imagine this town like it might have been at its height, a busting center of trade and culture. All along the street you can see evidence of the stores that used to line the sides, a street full of markets and shops, the forefather to the great
souks of Damascus and Aleppo. In fact, looking at the set-up of the now empty shops hidden among the columns, it is easy to see the relation to the old cities of Damascus and Aleppo.
The colonnaded street is no doubt the highlight of Aphamea and that is all most tourists see, but any visitor must make the 10-minute walk to see the ruined roman villa with its spectacular courtyard. Other than the villas of Pompeii, this is the best I have seen.
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