Hama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria. It is located 213 km (132 mi) north of Damascus and 46 kilometres (29 mi) north of Homs. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. With a population of 996,000, Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria after Damascus, Aleppo and Homs.
Image: Hama
Image: Noria and houses in Hama, Syria
Image: Al Azam Palace at Hama 1
An alley in old Hama
The Orontes or Nahr al-ʿĀṣī, or simply Asi is a 571 kilometres (355 mi) long river in Western Asia that begins in Lebanon, flowing northwards through Syria before entering the Mediterranean Sea near Samandağ in Hatay Province, Turkey.
The Norias of Hama along the Orontes in Syria
The Orontes flowing at the foot of the Syrian Coastal Mountain Range
Orontes River in Hama, Syria
The Orontes in Antakya, Hatay