Arāk

Arak is an oasis in the Syrian Desert northeast of Palmyra, on the road towards al-Sukhnah. Springs and trees made it a welcome stopping place amid the arid country. Roman milestones found here record the construction of a road from Palmyra to Sura on the Euphrates in 75 CE. An altar from ancient Aracha was dedicated to Yarhibol, a god associated with its water. The medieval geographer Yaqut described Arak as a small place with palms and olives near Palmyra, whose fortunes remained closely tied to those of its larger neighbour.