Syria Trails › Places

Halabiye (Zenobia)

حلبية (زنوبيا)

Fortified city on the Euphrates between Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, attributed to Queen Zenobia and refortified by Justinian in the 6th century.

On the right bank of the Euphrates where the valley narrows between Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor lie the ruins of Halabiye, a fortified city linked to Queen Zenobia of Palmyra, who founded or fortified it in the 3rd century to protect Euphrates trade.

Its walls climb from the riverbank to a small citadel on the mountaintop, commanding the valley. The impressive surviving walls largely date from the 6th century, when Emperor Justinian rebuilt it against the Sasanians.

Halabiye appears in the Ebla archives of the 24th century BC as Halabit, and was later a Roman garrison town called Birtha before Palmyra took it. After Zenobia's revolt in 273 the Romans captured it and refortified it as part of the Limes Arabicus. The 12-hectare site is protected by massive walls and a hilltop citadel, and excavations found two churches, a public bath and two streets from Justinian's reign.

It has remains of churches, baths and public buildings, and tower tombs outside the walls like those of Palmyra. Across the river lies its twin fort, Zalabiye. The view of the Euphrates from the walls is majestic.

Note: photos may not reflect the site's current condition.

For the visitor

Photos

Photos: Bertramz — via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Marina Milella — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Folkertherlyn — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)