Lil [Kristen Elsby]'s photostream Pro User

Camels graze freely amongst the Palmyra ruins, an ancient Greco-Roman city built on a natural oasis in the Syrian desert, in the golden hour of late afternoon.

Palmyra, Syria, 2010

In the middle of an oasis in the Syrian desert lies the ancient Greco-Roman city of Palmyra (near present day Tadmor). One of the most impressive - and almost fully intact - excavated buildings is the Roman Theater, which dates back to the 1st century AD.

Made from five images stitched together - best viewed large.

Palmyra, Syria, 2010

Climbing high up into the rocky mountains beyond the ancient Roman city of Palmyra, the desert floor seems to go on forever. Water running off the mountains leaves deep grooves across the land, although there is not enough regular rain to relieve the persistent drought.

Hims, Syria, 2010

The tetrapylon structure in the midst of the ancient Roman city of Palmyra has been almost entirely reconstructed - only one original Egyptian granite column remains amongst the 16 columns now standing.

Palmyra, Syria, 2010

At the turnoff to Iraq on Highway 2, which runs for hundreds of kilometres through the desert between Damascus and Baghdad, there are three or so roadside stops with the same name - the Bagdad Cafe. If you're up on your pop culture references, you will remember this as the title of a German film from the 1980s about a woman working in a lonely truckstop cafe and motel in the Mojave Desert.

Highway 2, Syria, 2010