2-359-532 - Vivienne Sharp/Heritage Images

The theatre, Palmyra, Syria. Situated in an oasis in the Syrian desert halfway between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates, Palmyra grew up as an important caravan town on the old Silk Road. The city became part of the Roman Empire during the reign of Tiberius in the first half of the 1st century AD and the theatre is believed to date from around this time.