Qatna, Archaeological site in Homs Governorate, Syria
Qatna is a Bronze Age settlement in Homs Governorate, Syria, preserving remains of a walled city with palace complex and residential quarters. The site extends over several hectares with clearly visible earthen ramparts and exposed structures of mudbrick and stone.
People began settling here in the late fourth millennium BC and built up a settlement that became the center of a kingdom. The city lost its importance after military confrontations with the Hittite Empire in the mid-second millennium BC.
The name Qatna comes from Akkadian texts and appears in records of Egyptian pharaohs as an important trading partner. Visitors can see foundations of houses and public buildings that show how people lived and worked here over centuries.
The ruins lie northeast of Homs in open terrain that offers little shade in hot weather. Sturdy footwear helps when walking over uneven surfaces between excavation areas.
Archaeologists found vessels containing oil that remained liquid after several millennia in underground chambers. These rooms lay beneath the palace floor and likely served to store valuable goods for ritual purposes.
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