Historical place profile

Palmyra

Palmyra is an ancient oasis and trading city with monumental remains located in modern Syria. Under Zenobia, It was the capital of the breakaway Palmyrene Empire, which led to Aurelian razing the city. In 1980, Palmyra was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Record details
Research ID
catholon:place:pleiades:668331
Catalogue ID
pleiades:668331
Place type
archaeological-site, oasis, settlement, station, urban
Coordinates
34.552809, 38.264867
Precision
precise
Locator semantics
representative_point_not_boundary

Historical description

Palmyra is an ancient oasis and trading city with monumental remains located in modern Syria. Under Zenobia, It was the capital of the breakaway Palmyrene Empire, which led to Aurelian razing the city. In 1980, Palmyra was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Geographic evidence

The coordinates are a representative_point_not_boundary. They identify a research anchor and do not by themselves assert an ancient administrative boundary or the full extent of the settlement.

Provenance: Barrington Atlas: BAtlas 68 F4 Palmyra/Thadamora/Hadrianopolis

Source and reuse

This profile derives from the Pleiades current GIS record, licensed CC BY 3.0. Pleiades place record The profile preserves the source name, point, type, description, precision and provenance without silently adding a boundary reconstruction.

Research path

Compare this place with the chronological map at the relevant year, nearby political units, routes, institutions and the period portals. Where the source record is silent about jurisdiction, population or ecclesiastical rank, this profile makes no such claim.

Phase II — chronological and spatial research layer

Historical problem

Palmyra is an ancient oasis and trading city with monumental remains located in modern Syria. Under Zenobia, It was the capital of the breakaway Palmyrene Empire, which led to Aurelian razing the city. In 1980, Palmyra was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spatial reading

The record classifies this location as archaeological-site, oasis, settlement, station, urban with precise point precision. The coordinate is a research anchor, not a timeless urban, political or ecclesiastical boundary.

Source path

Geographic provenance: Barrington Atlas: BAtlas 68 F4 Palmyra/Thadamora/Hadrianopolis. The place should be compared with the active time slice, routes, neighbouring polities, institutions and dated textual witnesses.

Questions for further dossier work

  1. Which occupation phases are directly attested at this coordinate?
  2. Which ancient or medieval names refer to the same site, and which remain disputed?
  3. Which political and ecclesiastical jurisdictions changed over time?
  4. Which routes, ports or regional centres explain the place’s historical importance?