Palmyra - The Queen of the Desert, Syria (134/418)

An oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. The art and architecture of Palmyra, at the crossroads of several civilizations from the 1st to the 2nd century, married Graeco-Roman techniques with local traditions and Persian influences.