Burial in Palmyra

Palmyra's burials are unique. Situated outside the city walls, they show the changes in burial practice over the city's history and reflect Palmyran beliefs in life after death.

The cemeteries of Palmyra are a unique and noticeable feature of the city. Lying outside the city walls, they consist of two different types of tomb. Tower Tombs are the most visible, appearing to stand guard over the city. The later, underground hypogeum burials are more discretely.

Many of these tombs date from the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Yet both types are more Semitic rather than classical, representing in their design and decor Palmyran beliefs in life after death.

The cemeteries of Palmyra encircle the city of Palmyra just outside the city walls. They consist of two main sites: the main necropolis to the south west of the city and the Valley of the Tombs to the West. Each cemetery is dominated by a particular type of burial.

The oldest types of burial at Palmyra were tower tombs. The most visually prominent types of burial in the city, tower tombs began as exclusively above ground structures. Later they evolved to include a single underground crypt. This laid the foundation for Palmyra’s final type of tomb, the underground hypogeum tomb which was completely hidden from view.

The earliest type of Palmyran burial, the multi story towers can be found in the Valley of the Tombs. Built of solid stone, they are square based and interred the dead above ground. They probably accommodated family groups.