Homs Governorate

• “Homs” is a city located in the center of “Syria” through which the Orontes River passes. It is the third most important Syrian city. It dates back to 2300 BC and was called “Emesa” during the Roman era. It has a long history. It is noteworthy that the city of Homs is also called the city "Khalid ibn al-Walid".

• The name "Emesa" or "Hemesa" is also attributed to "Emesenoi", which is the name of the Arab tribe that ruled the region before the city was annexed to the Roman Empire. It is not known when the name of the tribe became associated with the city, but it is generally believed that the name was used in the Roman era.

• The Arab residents of Emesa used to call it “Homs,” and many of them settled in it before the Islamic conquest of the Levant. This name has continued during the Islamic rule until this day, and the Crusaders knew it as “la Chamelle,” although they never ruled it.

• Homs Governorate is one of the governorates of the Syrian Arab Republic. It is considered one of the largest governorates in terms of area, with a land area of 42,223 km2, or 16,302 square miles.

• The economy of "Homs Governorate" depends on: the Syrian Oil Company for oil replication, natural gas export, and oil extraction.

• The governorate is divided administratively into seven regions. The “Homs Governorate” is geographically located in the center of the Syrian Arab Republic, where it is bordered on the north by the governorate of “Hama”, and on the eastern side by the governorate of “Deir ez-Zor” and the governorate of “Raqqa”, and it is bordered from the south by the governorate of “Damascus countryside”. It is bordered on the western side by the governorate of Tartus and Lebanon, and on the southeastern side by the Republic of Iraq and the Kingdom of Jordan.

• "Homs Governorate" has several different terrains represented in: rivers such as: the Orontes River, the fertile plains, the dessert, and the mountainous heights such as: the eastern Lebanon mountain range, valleys, forests, springs, and waterfalls. 

• Population of “Homs”: “Homs” governorate is considered one of the largest governorates in terms of population of the third degree, with a population of 2,087,000 million people, according to 2010 statistics, and the language of the official population is the Arabic language, and the population adheres to the Islamic religion, and the Christian religion, and the population is distinguished by its sense of humor, and telling jokes.

• Homs has many historical monuments such as the castles, mosques, baths, Palaces and monasteries. Many festivals are held on the land of "Homs Governorate", including the Shopping Tourism Festival, the Castle and Wadi Festival for Culture and Arts, and the Homs Cultural and Artistic Festival.