adventure travel & photography
Destinations: Pakistan ◦◦ India ◦◦Turkey ◦◦ Egypt ◦◦ Bulgaria ◦◦ Mongolia ◦◦ Bangladesh ◦◦ Jordan ◦◦ Russia ◦◦ Turkmenistan ◦◦ Iran ◦◦ Kazakhstan ◦◦ Japan ◦◦ Hong Kong ◦◦ Greece ◦◦ Ukraine ◦◦ Syria ◦◦ Morocco ◦◦ Italy ◦◦ Mauritania ◦◦ Oman ◦◦ Algeria ◦◦ Faroe Islands ◦◦ Indonesia
Type: Photo stories ◦◦ Places ◦◦ Documentary ◦◦ Black and White ◦◦ Limited Edition Fine Art Prints ◦◦ Unlimited Edition Fine Art Prints ◦◦ Seascapes ◦◦ Urban ◦◦ Thousand Voyages Video Collection
Tours/Expeditions: List with all our scheduled tours and expeditions
- The story
- Purchasing Fine Art Unlimited Edition Prints, RM Licenses, and/or the Whole Publication
- Purchasing RM 4K video footage - Thousand Voyages Video Collection
- Travel to Syria
The story
During the second tour of Syria, which I led in October 2023, we had the opportunity to deviate from our planned itinerary and explore the ancient Greek and Roman city of Apamea. Although it was not originally included in our program, the recent opening of the area allowed us to visit this remarkable site.
Apamea, an ancient Greek and Roman city, has a fascinating history. The area around Apamea has been inhabited since the Stone Age, and the first city on the site was called "Pharnake". Later, it was conquered by Alexander the Great and subsequently renamed Pella.
After Alexander's demise and the division of his empire, Pella came under the rule of Seleucus I and was renamed once again. It became known as Apamea, named after the king's Persian wife.
Although Apamea's golden age did not begin until the second century AD, it flourished with a population of up to 500,000 inhabitants. After a devastating earthquake in 115 AD, extensive reconstruction took place, transforming Apamea from a typical Hellenistic city into a Roman one.
One of the most impressive features of the site is the Roman Great Colonnade, which stretches for nearly 2 km and ranks among the longest in the Roman world. It extends from the Antioch Gate in the north to the Homs Gate in the south. Additionally, the Roman Theatre, with an estimated seating capacity of over 20,000, is one of the largest surviving theatres of the Roman Empire.
The site of Apamea has been identified as the ancient city since the mid-19th century. The first archaeological exploration took place in 1928, initiated by Franz Cumont, who successfully persuaded Belgium to conduct regular missions there. These missions, led by Fernand Mayence and Henri Lacoste, comprised seven campaigns before the outbreak of the Second World War, followed by two shorter seasons in 1947 and 1953.
A substantial collection of objects from the site, including significant architectural and artistic artifacts, is housed in the Cinquantenaire Museum in Brussels, Belgium. This collection serves as a testament to the rich history and cultural heritage of Apamea.
When we visited Apamea, there were no tourists or other people around. It was a unique experience to appreciate the beauty of the ancient city without any distractions. However, at the same time, we couldn't help but feel the sadness of the ongoing war. The surrounding villages were destroyed. The road leading to the archaeological complex was eerily empty, as if it were a reminder that history does not always progress in a positive direction. Once a glamorous and prosperous city, Apamea now lies amidst the ruins of war.
Purchasing Fine Art Unlimited Edition Prints, RM Licenses, and/or the Whole Publication
All images in the publication and/or photo gallery are available for purchase as Fine Art Unlimited Edition Prints and/or licensed using Rights Managed Image Licensing. The publication may also be available for purchase as a single unit, including the text, photos, videos, or music (if available), as one complete publication that you can use on your website, in a magazine (print or online), or on other platforms.
Please check the corresponding sections for more information:
Purchasing RM 4K video footage - Thousand Voyages Video Collection
All the videos on this page are part of the Thousand Voyages Video Collection and are offered as rights-managed 4K stock footage. You have the option to purchase entire clips, typically a few minutes in length, or individual parts of the clips as separate footage, ranging from 10 to 60 seconds.
If you are interested in making a purchase, please first read the Thousand Voyages Video Collection - FAQ and then send an email to me at pavel@thousandvoyages.com with the link to the page where you found the video clip, either on this website or on my Vimeo account page - https://vimeo.com/pavelgospodinov.
You can find all publications on this website that include embedded videos here.
Travel to Syria
I organize and lead small groups to Syria through my licensed travel agency "Thousand Voyages" Ltd.
You can find out more about the guided tours here.
A list of all scheduled tours can be found here.