BEIRUT—A look at Palmyra, the archaeological gem that Syrian troops took back from Islamic State (ISIS) fighters.
Location
A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus, with the country’s east and neighboring Iraq. Home to 65,000 people before the latest fighting, the town is located 155 miles (215 kilometers) east of Damascus.
Syrian citizens riding their bicycles the ancient oasis city of Palmyra, 134 miles (215 kilometres) northeast of Damascus, on March 14, 2014. Syria's fabled desert Greco-Roman oasis of Palmyra saw its last tourist in September 2011, six months after the uprising began. Its most recent visitors are violence and looting. Joseph Eid/AFP/Getty Images
