Al-Qaryatayn, also spelled Karyatayn, Qaratin or Cariatein, is a town in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate located southeast of Homs. It is situated on an oasis in the Syrian Desert. Nearby localities include Tadmur (Palmyra) to the northeast, Furqlus to the north, al-Riqama and Dardaghan to the northwest, Mahin, Huwwarin and Sadad to the west, Qarah, Deir Atiyah and al-Nabk to the southwest and Jayrud to the south. Al-Qaryatayn translates as "the two villages".

Homs Governorate is one of the fourteen governorates (provinces) of Syria. It is situated in central Syria. Its geography differs in various locations in the governorate, from 40,940 km2 (15,807 sq mi) to 42,223 km2 (16,302 sq mi). It is geographically the largest governorate in Syria. Homs Governorate has a population of 1,763,000 as of 2010. The Homs governorate is divided into six administrative districts (mantiqah), with the city of Homs as a separate district. Homs is the capital city of the district of Homs. Its governor is Namir Habib Makhlouf.