Hama
Wooden waterwheels turning on the Orontes for centuries; you hear them before you see them.
Status today
Updated weekly by our Hama correspondent.
Norias and houses on the Orontes
Huge wooden wheels lift water from the river into stone aqueducts, beside courtyard houses and palaces on the Orontes.
This page’s pattern and the arch of its photo frames come from this style.
Sights
10 placesThe norias
Giant wooden wheels on the Orontes river.
Azm Palace, Hama
An Ottoman house with courtyards and painted wood.
Apamea
A long colonnaded street above the Ghab plain.
Shayzar Castle
A castle on a rocky ridge above the Orontes.
Masyaf Castle
A stone castle in a hill town west of Hama.
Great Mosque
Hama's oldest mosque, on the site of a temple and later a church. Destroyed in 1982 and rebuilt.
Nuri Mosque
A 12th-century mosque built by Nur al-Din Zangi near the Orontes, with a striped stone minaret.
Citadel Mound
An archaeological mound in central Hama that once held the city's citadel, now a public park above the Orontes.
Cathedral of St George
A Greek Orthodox cathedral in Hama with a bell tower and dome.
Qasr Ibn Wardan
A 6th-century Byzantine complex in the desert east of Hama, with a palace and church in stone and brick.
Secrets, jokes and proverbs
Told and signed by people of the city, in Arabic only. Read them on the Arabic page.
Restaurants and cafes
Visited and written up by our Hama correspondent.
What to eat here: Hama's halawet el-jibn, kibbeh, and pastries.A first list compiled on 24 October 2026 from published guides (Wikivoyage, TripAdvisor) and Google Maps. Check opening hours before you go; our correspondent updates it after visiting.
Monamour
Hama · Listed among the city’s restaurants on TripAdvisor.
Al-Baroudi
Shoukri al-Quwatli St · Known for grilled chicken (Wikivoyage).
Ali Baba
Near the Cairo Hotel · A small falafel place (Wikivoyage).
Chef Youssef
Hama · Rated 4.5 from 77 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Zuhdi Qaitaz Sweets
Hama · Rated 4.7 from 38 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Rawadi
Hama · Rated 4.6 from 164 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Hayat Sweets
Hama · Rated 4.5 from 49 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Qahf Sweets
Hama · Rated 4.6 from 30 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Antica Cafe
Hama · Rated 4.6 from 14 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Aspasia
Hama · A restaurant listed among Hama’s top rated.
Hama halawet el jibn
The souq · Hama’s best-known sweet, with cream and pistachio.
The original uploader was Mbenoist at French Wikipedia. · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsCafes by the norias
Orontes bank · Sitting to the creak of the waterwheels.
Aspasia
Rated 4.0 from 212 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
River Restaurant
Rated 4.1 from 120 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Jeddo al-Ghawi
Rated 4.2 from 70 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Abu al-Zouz
Rated 4.6 from 71 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Abu Azzo al-Sourani
Rated 4.1 from 148 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Al-Asfour Grills
Rated 4.3 from 25 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Dream Family Restaurant
Rated 4.6 from 19 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Dolce Pizza
Nazlet al-Jazdan · Rated 4.9 from 17 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Atyab Markiz
Rated 4.4 from 25 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Pink Diamond Cafe
Rated 4.2 from 16 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Orchid Cafe
Rated 4.9 from 10 reviews on Google Maps (October 2026).
Parks and gardens
For families, picnics and walks in and around the city.
Umm al-Hassan Park
By the norias · A garden on the Orontes among the norias.
Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOrontes banks
City centre · A walk among the wooden waterwheels.
Hama in photos
Walk with us: an eye-level walk through the citySoon
Hotels in Hama
Hotels on Ahleen can be booked there directly. Others are listed for information only, without a link.
Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsStays in Hama
Hotels and rural homes with real photos, through our partner Ahleen.
Book a stay with Ahleen (opens in a new tab)أهلين شريك هذا الدليل. How the partnership works