Hama, Syria is the city of the norias, the giant wooden wheels that have turned on the Orontes for centuries and give off a groaning sound that has become part of the city’s identity. Hama lies 45 kilometres north of Homs, and is known for being quiet, for its gardens along the riverbanks, and for a rich archaeological hinterland running from Apamea to Shayzar to Qasr Ibn Wardan. Here is what Hama is famous for.
The Norias of Hama: Symbol of the City
The norias are the most famous thing in Hama by a long way: huge wooden wheels that lift the water of the Orontes into raised channels to irrigate the orchards and feed the mosques and the baths. About 17 norias survive in the city. The best known is the Muhammadiyah, 21 metres across and reckoned the largest in the world, along with the Four Norias (al-Bishriyat), the Jaabariyah, the Mamuriyah and the Uthmaniyah. The oldest of them go back to the Byzantine period, and the norias of Hama are on the tentative list for World Heritage status. At sunset the sound of the wheels and the spray off the water make a remarkable thing to stand and watch.
Azm Palace in Hama
Asad Pasha al-Azm built this palace in 1742, while he was governor of Hama and before he moved to Damascus and built the better known one there. Hama’s Azm Palace is among the finest Ottoman palaces in Syria, with its inner courtyard, its trees and its carved decoration, and today it holds the National Museum of Popular Traditions.
The Great Mosque and al-Nuri Mosque
The Great Mosque, al-Jami al-Aala, is one of the oldest mosques in Syria, built on the site of a temple and then a Byzantine church, and rebuilt in full after being damaged. Al-Nuri Mosque was built by Nur al-Din Zengi in 1163 on the bank of the Orontes, and is known for its wooden minbar and its Kufic inscriptions.
Apamea: The Longest Colonnaded Street
Fifty-five kilometres north-west of Hama lies the ancient city of Apamea, founded by Seleucus Nicator in the fourth century BC. It is known for its colonnaded street, about two kilometres long and the longest in the Roman world, for its theatre, one of the largest Roman theatres anywhere, and for the castle of Qalaat al-Mudiq looking out over the Ghab plain.
Shayzar Castle and Qasr Ibn Wardan
Shayzar Castle stands on the banks of the Orontes north of Hama, and is the birthplace of the knight-prince Usama ibn Munqidh, author of the Book of Contemplation. Qasr Ibn Wardan is a Byzantine set piece out in the steppe east of Hama, built in 564 AD from brick and basalt on the model of the architecture of Constantinople.
Cheese Halawa from Hama
Homs competes for the title, but a great many people hold that Hama’s cheese halawa, with clotted cream, syrup and pistachio, is the best in Syria, and the shops of al-Alamein Street and the Hadir quarter are known for it. Hama is also known for shuaybiyat, qatayef and Hama baklava.
The Cooking of Hama
- Hama kibbeh: the city is known for kibbeh siniyeh, kibbeh labaniyeh and kibbeh saj.
- Stuffed vegetables and kousa bil-sheikh: banquet dishes in Hama.
- Mlehi and shakriyeh: meat cooked in yoghurt.
- Hama bread: thin markouk bread baked on the saj.
- Awameh and zalabiyeh: popular sweets in Hama.
Traditional Crafts
Hama is known for embroidered cloth and for the black Hama abayas worked with gold and silver thread, for hand weaving on traditional looms in the Kaylaniyyah quarter, and for the building of the wooden norias themselves, a craft passed down in a handful of families.
Nature Around Hama
Hama is ringed by the orchards of the Orontes and the fertile Ghab plain, with Masyaf and the coastal mountains to the west and historic Salamiyah to the east, along with Hammam al-Hara and the Umm al-Hasan gardens above the river. The city is known for the public gardens that run along the banks of the Orontes, among them al-Sharia and Umm al-Hasan.
Tips for Visiting Hama, Syria
- The best time to see the norias is spring and summer, when the river is high and the wheels turn at full strength.
- Walk the bank of the Orontes from the Muhammadiyah noria down to the Four Norias at sunset.
- Set aside a day for Apamea, Qalaat al-Mudiq and the Ghab plain.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hama
What is Hama famous for?
Hama is famous for its wooden norias on the Orontes, Azm Palace, Apamea, Shayzar Castle, cheese halawa and embroidered abayas.
How many norias are there in Hama?
About 17 norias remain in Hama, the largest being the Muhammadiyah at 21 metres in diameter.
