To see the Euphrates
is one of those lifetime experiences that leave a deep impression. For me the
very name is forever associated with the Bible and visions of old Mesopotamia, the land of milk and honey and, of course, with Alexander the Great.
Unlike my previous trip when I crossed the
famous river by bus over a modern bridge, I now have the opportunity to take a
much closer look. The late wintry sun stands low above the horizon, wrapping the
entire landscape in gold adding a touch of indescribably mystical to the Euphrates. And then there is the omnipresent silence. All
I hear is the murmur of the current and the sweet rustle of the wind through
the high reeds. The
picture is timeless, eternal even. For me, a moment to let my thoughts drift
back to Alexander the Great who
crossed this very river with his army on the way to his confrontation with King Darius at Gaugamela to conquer
Persia. I venture
through the high grasses, carefully avoiding the marshy edges to get as close
as possible to the fast flowing water that reflects the moods of the sky and
the riverbanks. I deeply savor the moment before boarding my van and drive down
the winding road alongside to the river. ![]()
In fact, I’m on my way to Halabiye, old Halabia, one of those garrisons
founded by Queen Zenobia of Palmyra in
266 AD. Time is of the essence in the
fast failing daylight. Except for the sturdy city walls there isn’t much left
to see of Halabia, only the Pretorium
that occupies a very strategic place high above the Euphrates
valley. The old city was located on the Silk Road and flourished till 273 AD when Emperor Aurelius added the city to the Roman Empire. However, Emperor Justinian (527-565) judged it useful to restore the city
and built these mighty defense walls to withstand possible invasions from the
Persians.It is a strenuous climb up to the Pretorium and a run against the failing
daylight but I’m determined to make it in time. It is hard to believe that
these remains are at least 1,500 years old. The strong walls are cracked in
many places due to repeated earthquakes in the area which the three-stories-high arched rooms have survived. Deep niches around arch-shaped windows remind
me of Medieval castles and look in fact quite cozy with a stone bench on either
side that may have been covered with some cushions or covers. This is a great
spot for the lookout to scrutinize the river upstream as well as downstream. The
quietness of late evening is disturbed by a rattling sound, that of a car
crossing the Euphrates a few hundreds of meters away using a pontoon bridge – a
system that was very well-known in antiquity and used repeatedly by Alexander on his march east.
