Qatna (Tell Mishrife) – Royal Palace Harbour on Orontes Canal
Qatna · Tell Mishrife · Qatanum
Early Bronze to Late Bronze (c. 2500 – 1340 BCE)·Amorite / Yamhad / Mitanni / Hittite·🇸🇾 Homs Governorate, Tell Mishrife, Syria
About
About Qatna (Tell Mishrife) – Royal Palace Harbour on Orontes Canal
Qatna (Qatanum) – Amorite–Mitanni kingdom capital (2000–1340 BCE), supplier of Mari's timber, whose Orontes canal harbour (20 m wide) linked to Orontes via a drained marsh canal now silted under Tell Mishrife's 1 km² rampart city. Syrian–Italian–German excavations (1999–2011) uncovered the 120×60 m Royal Palace with wall paintings (Mari-style), canal quay bitumen, and the 'Qatna Treasure' tombs with Baltic amber–harbour import. The canal harbour basin (80×40 m) lies 200 m west of palace with harbour mud.
Why it mattersOnly Orontes canal palace preserving intact Royal Palace frescoes and amber harbour import; documents Amorite–Mitanni canal harbour network.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Canal course – Orontes proper vs seasonal wadi
- 02Whether harbour handled river barges vs donkey caravan
Theories
- 01Qatna letters to Mari detail timber transshipment quotas
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- City EB IV; palace MBA 1900 BCE; canal MB II
- Period
- Early Bronze to Late Bronze (c. 2500 – 1340 BCE)
- Culture
- Amorite / Yamhad / Mitanni / Hittite
- Purpose
- Orontes timber and palace luxury port – Qatna–Mari caravan transshipment
- Abandoned
- 1340 BCE Hittite destruction (Suppiluliumas) + canal drying
- Rediscovered
- Du Mesnil du Buisson 1920s; al-Maqdissi 1999–; Pfälzner 2000–
- Excavation
- Buried
City EB IV; palace MBA 1900 BCE; canal MB II
Initial construction
c. 1107 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
34.8390° N · 36.8640° E · 500 m · 3 mapped features
Royal Palace of Qatna (120×60 m)
palaceRoyal Palace 120×60 m with frescoes – Mari-style wall painting and throne room
34.8395° N · 36.8645° EQatna Canal Harbour Basin (80×40 m)
harbourCanal harbour basin 80×40 m at –1 m west of palace with mud and bitumen
34.8385° N · 36.8630° EQatna Rampart Canal Gate
gateWestern rampart gate where canal entered city – harbour gate
34.8380° N · 36.8625° E