Hama, Ancient settlement on the Orontes River, Syria.
Hama is a city on the Orontes in Syria, spread across different elevations along the river banks roughly 210 kilometers north of Damascus. Buildings climb the slopes while main roads run parallel to the water, and several bridges connect both sides.
Settlement stretches back to the Stone Age and later saw conquest by Assyrians, Persians, Greeks and Romans. After World War I the area became part of modern Syria under French mandate before gaining independence.
The city has kept its name for more than three thousand years through every change of rule. Residents today live in the neighborhoods along the river and use the parks beside the banks for evening walks.
The center spreads on both banks with the bridges serving as useful landmarks for direction. Visiting is most comfortable in early morning or late afternoon when light falls on the water and air becomes cooler.
Seventeen large wooden waterwheels from the 14th century with diameters up to 22 meters still stand along the river and some remain in use. The creaking of their axles has been a typical sound of the streets for centuries and visitors can still hear it today.
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