Explore the site

The oasis of Palmyra is in northwest Syria. The city stood at the meeting point of several routes across the desert steppe. It came to prominence in Roman times and was later closely associated with Queen Zenobia.

Queen Zenobia

Wife of Odaenathus, a ruler of Palmyra, queen as consort and then mother of the "king of kings", Zenobia laid claim to the title of empress of Rome, with her son as emperor. Her ultimate defeat at the hands of the Emperor Aurelian followed by her death perpetuated her legend at the expense of history.

Palmyra at the Louvre Museum

There are some magnificent examples of Palmyra's unique syncretic art in the Louvre Museum. The collection includes 92 stone sculptures and 146 tesserae - small terracotta entry tokens for ritual banquets in the city's great sanctuaries.

Palmyra archaeological researches