Hama

Hama is a city in western Syria on the Orontes River and the capital of Hama Governorate. It is known for historic waterwheels called norias.

Hama norias: Large wooden waterwheels in Hama that lift water from the Orontes River into irrigation channels. These waterwheels are Hama’s best-known landmarks and a defining feature of its riverfront.
Aramaeans: An ancient Semitic-speaking people whose kingdoms and communities flourished across the Near East. Aramaean rule shaped Hama’s early history, when it was known as Hamath.
Hama Governorate: A governorate in western Syria whose administrative capital is Hama. The city serves as the governorate’s administrative center.
Noria: A water-lifting device powered by flowing water, traditionally used to raise water into channels. Hama’s wheels are celebrated examples of this broader water-lifting technology.
Great Mosque of Hama: A historic mosque in Hama, built on a site that has held religious structures since antiquity. Its successive buildings reflect the city’s changing religious and political history.
Hamath: An ancient city and kingdom in the Orontes valley, centered on the site of modern Hama. Hamath is the ancient predecessor from which Hama developed.
Homs: A city in western Syria, south of Hama, and a major regional transport and industrial center. Homs is Hama’s closest major city and a neighboring urban center in the Orontes corridor.
Waterwheel: A wheel driven by moving water to perform mechanical work or lift water. The norias belong to the wider family of water-powered wheels.
Hama Museum: A museum in Hama housed in a historic Ottoman-era building. Its collections connect the city’s modern visitors with the region’s archaeological past.
Neo-Assyrian Empire: An ancient Mesopotamian empire that dominated much of the Near East from the tenth to seventh centuries BCE. Its conquest of Hamath brought the city into the Assyrian imperial system.

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