Hama
Syria
Hama's seventeen norias — waterwheel monuments on the Orontes River claimed to date back to 1100 BC — are the defining image of this west-central Syrian city, today functioning as the city's most visited landmark. The centre has a walkable café and restaurant scene, and the city has a long cheesemaking tradition reflected in its signature dessert, Halawet el Jibn. Much of the old city was destroyed in the 1982 Hama massacre, a fact that shapes what visitors find today.
- Population460,602
- Nearest water from center1.1 km
- Nearest mountain from center2.4 km