Things to see and do Hama

Beautiful rooms from prehistoric times. Very good explanatory panels. Finally, a masterpiece of ancient art dated the end of the th century. The Mosaïque mosaic was discovered in a villa in the town of Mariamin in Jebel Ansarié. Six women are represented playing musical instruments (castanets, flute, organ, rattlesnakes). A unique document on the music of the time.

The Azem Palace is located on the left bank of the Orontes near the city centre, facing the public garden. There is a small street passing under the aqueduct of one of the major norias. Built by the same governor (Azem Pasha) as the palace of Damascus, he is not equal.

Its dimensions, its plane at levels and its escapement on the Orontes make it a magnificent th century building.

We first enter the haremlik encombré of ancient sculptures, where the iwan faces a fountain under a magnolia. This yard serves the stables and warehouses, which are now housed in the museum. On the floor you can discover the most noble part of the haremlik, preceded by a magnificent portico. Three rooms in T are served by a room under cupola. In contrast to the portico, rooms present a wax museum in the beautiful furniture (painted wood, meubles-impregnated furniture…). It illustrates the astonishing wealth of costumes in the region.

Down on the ground floor, we won the small hammam of the palace where scenes reconstruct the animation of the bath. We then win the salemlik as the haremlik on two floors. The ground floor was reserved for the service.

On the floor the reception rooms are open, with some original ornamentations.

The principle is simple: It is about raising the water through the current to water the gardens that dominate the bed of the river. Large wooden wheels with buckets turn like mills at the rhythm of the river. Become at the top of her noria, water is discharged into a stone channel that leads her to gentle slope as far as possible from the shores without any human effort. Man must, however, build and maintain these large wooden wheels that water and current gradually use.

The wood grinding, the runoff of the excess water, the fine rain worn by the wind have an unforgettable charm. The higher the wheel, the more striking the effect is.

The city centre has a beautiful group of norias near the public garden. But the most imposing group, the "four norias", is located in the east, 1 km from the river. La Noria is located downstream of the citadel. Its 21 m diameter is the highest in Hama. It dates back to the th century.

The hotel was very clean and the room was clean. Offers maps of the region and city.