Homs

Homs
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D       95     11 3       77     13 3       56     17 6       33     22 9       13     27 13       2.6     31 17       0.2     32 20       0     33 20       2.4     31 18       21     27 13       48     19 7       81     13 4 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation+Snow totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D       3.7     52 37       3     55 38       2.2     62 42       1.3     71 49       0.5     81 55       0.1     87 63       0     90 68       0     91 68       0.1     88 64       0.8     80 55       1.9     66 45       3.2     55 39 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

With a population of 1.6 million, Homs is the third large city in Syria after the capital Damascus and Aleppo. It is centrally positioned in Syria and is home to Al-Baath University among other institutes. There are many restaurants and hotels. The old name for the city of Homs is "Emissa" or "Emizza" but in standard Arabic it is called "Hims" and "Homs" is its informal name.

Homs is the birthplace of Hashim al-Atassi, the Syrian nationalist and former president of Syria.

There is no airport in Homs; however, you can reach the city by taxi, private car, or bus from the airports at Damascus, Aleppo, or Latakia, or other ports of you are arriving from outside of Syria. There are bus stations in every city which provide service to reach Homs.

There are no trains to Homs.

• 1 Homs railway station.  (updated Mar 2020)

• 1 Citadel of Homs (قلعة حمص). Built on an ancient tell dating back to the 3rd millennium BCE, a castle has been standing here since Roman times. However, it is mostly associated with the medieval knight Usama ibn Munqidh and the castle is often referred to as Osama castle. The ancient structures where leveled during the 1830s and now only ruins remains.  (updated Dec 2017)

• 2 Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque (مسجد خالد ابن الوليد). Noted for its Ottoman-Turkish architectural style, the mosque is dedicated to Khalid ibn al-Walid, an Arab military commander who led the Muslim conquest of Syria in the 7th century CE following the decisive Battle of Yarmouk, which put an end to Byzantine rule in Syria.  (updated Sep 2018)
• 3 Great Mosque of al-Nuri (جامع النوري الكبي).  (updated Mar 2020)

• 4 Church of Saint Elian (كنيسة مار اليان), Tarafa bin al-Abd St. Greek Orthodox church consecrated in AD 432.  (updated Jun 2020)
• 5 Forty Martyrs Cathedral (كاتدرائية الأربعين شهيدا). The largest Greek Orthodox cathedral in the city.  (updated Jun 2020)
• 6 Saint Mary Church of the Holy Belt (كاتدرائية السيدة العذراء أم الزنار). Also known as Um Al Zennar (كنيسة أم الزنار), this Syriac Orthodox church was first consecrated in 59 AD. The current structure dates back to the 9th century AD.  (updated Jun 2020)

Go to the mountains, 45 km from the city center:

• Mashta el Helou
• Marmarita
• Jwykhat
• Krak des Chevaliers

There you can enjoy the cool weather, the beautiful view, or camp if you have a tent. A camping permit might be needed.

There are many restaurants in Homs in Ghouta street and Hamra street and others near city center.

If you are just passing through the city, definitely try the labneh shawarma at the big food stall inside the Homs bus station.

You can find many pubs and bars to have a drink, specially in Al Hamidiya street, and some in Al Hadara Street.

Try arak, the local Syrian alcoholic drink.

There are many hotels in Homs

• Assafeer Hotel in Alinsha'at is the most popular (5 stars)
• Homs Grand Hotel (HGH)
• other cheaper hotels near the city center and the Damascus road (in Arabic:طريق الشام)
• 1 Safir Homs Hotel (فندق سفير حمص), Ragheb Al Jamali St, ☏ .  (updated Sep 2017)

See the travel warning at Syria.