Orontes River

The Orontes is a river in western Asia that rises in Lebanon, flows north through Syria, and reaches the Mediterranean Sea in Turkey.

Beqaa Valley: A high valley in Lebanon between the Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges. The Orontes rises in this valley near Baalbek.
Ancient Antioch: A Hellenistic city founded by Seleucus I near the Orontes in 300 BCE. Its location on the river made it a major ancient center.
Irrigation: The artificial application of water to soil to support crop growth. Orontes water sustains agriculture across its Syrian valley.
Hama: A city in western Syria situated on the Orontes River. Hama's riverfront norias became a defining landmark.
Lake Homs Dam: A Roman-era dam on the Orontes that forms Lake Homs in Syria. The dam stores and diverts river water south of Homs.
Seleucus I Nicator: A Macedonian general who founded the Seleucid Empire after Alexander the Great's death. He founded Antioch beside the Orontes.
Hama norias: Large wooden water wheels on the Orontes at Hama, used to raise river water into channels. These distinctive machines lift river water for irrigation.
Homs: A city in western Syria near the Orontes and the route between Damascus and Aleppo. The river and its dam lie close to this major Syrian city.
Ghab Plain: A fertile agricultural plain in northwestern Syria, drained by the Orontes. The river crosses this plain after passing Homs and Hama.
Battle of the Orontes: A battle fought near the Orontes between Seleucid and Ptolemaic forces in 145 BCE. The river's valley was the setting for this contest over Syria.

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