Deir Ezzor & Mari Full day

Deir Ezzor    

85 km south of Deir Ezzor, on the western bank of the Euphrates, is the archaeological site of the birthplace of Selcueus, near the Arab village of Salihiyeh. This was the historic town built by Seleucus Nicator, Alexander's lieutenant, the fortified town of Doura Europos. This town was closely linked with Palmyra, serving as an important forward line of defence against the Persians.

The site did not attract significant attention until 1921 when some mural paintings were discovered in a temple (there were 16 temples dedicated to the various gods of Palmyra), which are at present in the National Museum at Damascus. Many other discoveries followed, notably frescoes dating from 235 AD, which were in a remarkable state of preservation. They too, were transported to the Damascus Museum in 1936. Doura Europos, however, is still a place of interest for visitors.

Mari   

120 km south of this town is the site of the Kingdom of Mari (Tel Hariri), near Abu Kamal. This kingdom dates back to the third millennium BC. It was ruled by kings of the tenth dynasty after the flood. The discovery of Mari (1932), like the recent discovery of Ebla (1975), attracted the attention of archaeologists and researchers in various fields. 20,000 tablets with their cuneiform inscription recount the political and diplomatic life in these kingdoms. Many of the remains and relics, statues, jewels, tablets and stamps are now at the Damascus, Aleppo, Deir al-Zor and Paris museums.

Another archaeological site is at the intersection of the Euphrates and the Khabur near Mayadin (Tel al-Ashara), where the ancient city of Tarqa, the capital of the Khana kingdom, flourished in the second millennium BC after the fall of Mari. The wall that surrounded the city is one of the most enormous of the ancient world; it had a diameter of 20 m.