Palmyra, the elegant Bride of the Desert, was the famed capital of Queen Zenobia who famously dared to defy the might of Rome. As we travel through this land of great antiquity, marvelling at the wealth of ancient remains and discovering one of the Near East's best-kept secrets, we begin to understand the import of Syria's strategic location at the crossroads of extensive caravan routes that linked the Mediterranean with the East. It was this and the rich agricultural pickings of the 'Fertile Crescent' that attracted conquerors for millennia and led to the creation of magnificent cities like Palmyra as well as numerous historic fortresses, palaces, mosques and caravaserai. Syria's ever-changing landscape of mountains, deserts, oases and waterways together with its superb museum collections and fascinating bazaars add to the rich chronicle that is the country's history ensure the most memorable of experiences.