Gateway to capital Damascus, Homs is economic and military intersection of Syria

By Sumeyye Dilara Dincer

ISTANBUL (AA) - The strategically important province of Homs, which is the gateway to the capital Damascus, stands out as the heartland of Syria due to its geographical location, proximity to energy resources and logistical advantages, giving it a critical place in both domestic politics and international power balance in the country.

Homs, one of the most important cities in the country after Aleppo and Damascus, is known as the “capital of culture”, bearing the traces of many civilizations such as Rome, Byzantium, Umayyads, Abbasids and Ottomans.

- Strategic location

Centrally located in Syria at the intersection of major transportation routes, including the M5 Highway, Homs serves as a critical hub for logistics, trade, and military mobility, connecting key cities like Damascus, Aleppo, and Latakia while benefiting from its strategic proximity to the Mediterranean port of Latakia.

Homs serves as a vital hub for energy resources, with natural gas and oil pipelines passing through the city, while its fertile agricultural lands and industrial facilities bolster its importance for the local and national economy.

- Homs witnessed fierce clashes during civil war

In the early years of the civil war that started in Syria in 2011, Homs became the center of anti-government protests and witnessed violent clashes between Syrian regime forces and opposition groups.

Opposition groups resisted the regime forces, especially in neighborhoods such as Baba Amr and Khalidiya, turning these neighborhoods into opposition strongholds.

In 2012, the Syrian army used intense bombardment and siege strategies to retake opposition-held areas with the Baba Amr neighborhood subjected to heavy shelling in early 2012 and subsequently captured by regime forces.

During the siege, basic food, medicine and humanitarian aid were denied access, causing great suffering for civilians.

In 2014, the opposition, trapped in the so-called Old City in the center of Homs, surrendered after a long siege and negotiations.

During this process, the regime gained control of the city and the opposition retreated to regions such as Idlib.

After the retreat of the opposition, the Syrian regime implemented policies that encouraged demographic change in Homs. While some neighborhoods were completely evacuated, some neighborhoods were settled by regime supporters.​​​​​​​

In Homs, historical and cultural buildings were damaged and thousands of people were forced to flee their homes.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan​​​​​​​