Apamea, Syria

Apamea

Greek: Ἀπάμεια Arabic: آفاميا
View of Apamea ruins
Shown within Syria
Location	Hama Governorate, Syria
Region	Ghab plain
Coordinates	35°25′05″N 36°23′53″E / 35.418°N 36.398°E / 35.418; 36.398
Type	settlement
History
Builder	Seleucus I Nicator
Founded	ca. 300 BC
Abandoned	13th century
Cultures	Hellenistic, Roman, Medieval Greek, Arab
Site notes
Condition	ruins
Ownership	Public
Public access	Yes

Apamea (Greek: Ἀπάμεια, Apameia; Arabic: آفاميا, Afamia), on the right bank of the Orontes River, was an ancient Greek and Roman city. It was the capital of Apamene under the Macedonians,^[1] became the capital and Metropolitan Archbishopric of late Roman province Syria Secunda, again in the crusader period.

Amongst the impressive ancient remains, the site includes the Great Colonnade which ran for nearly 2 km (1.2 mi) making it among the longest in the Roman world and the Roman Theatre, one of the largest surviving theatres of the Roman Empire with an estimated seating capacity in excess of 20,000.

The site is about 55 km (34 mi) to the northwest of Hama, Syria, overlooking the Ghab valley.