Jabal al-Bilas Nature Reserve

The Jabal al-Bilas Nature Reserve covers 22797 ha of steppe southeast of Salamiyah, along the road between Uqayribat and Palmyra. It is part of the Palmyrene mountain chain, with an average elevation of 708 m and 100-150 mm of winter rain. The reserve was set up to protect what is left of the Atlantic pistachio woodland that once stretched from Uqayribat to Palmyra.

Before you go: safety

This steppe was a battle zone during the war. On 19 April 2022 a landmine laid by Islamic State militants exploded on Jabal al-Bilas, killing 3 soldiers and wounding 3. Leaving the road is not safe. Nor is walking into unmarked wadis. Check the current situation with local authorities in Salamiyah before setting out; the site’s guide to safety at damaged sites sets out the same rules.

What to see

The first core zone holds natural, old pistachio trees. Some reach 5 m. Heavy felling in the late 19th and early 20th centuries reduced a wide woodland to scattered clumps. A forestry nursery in Uqayribat grows pistachio seedlings, and the reserve is being replanted. The flora includes wild fig, caper, wormwood, thyme, sage and anemone.

Recorded wildlife includes the wolf, the Syrian striped hyena, the fox, the jackal, the wildcat, partridges, sandgrouse, the hoopoe, owls and eagles. The Syrian gazelle was hunted out of the area.

How the reserve is divided

The reserve is split into three zones, and the oldest trees are in the first core zone. The main wadis are Abu Riyaf-al-Ukayri (5 km), Fannush al-Badhinjan (about 10 km) and Malluh al-Musaqra (about 10 km).

The Roman boundary stone

A boundary marker set up by the Roman governor Silanus was found on the mountain. It stood 75 km northwest of Palmyra and probably marked the line between the territory of Palmyra and that of Epiphania, today’s Hama.

How long it takes

Two hours, looking only from the roadside and from marked areas. Long walks into the wadis are not something this page recommends, because of the mine risk.

Do not miss

The old pistachio trees. A 5 m tree standing alone in the steppe is the clearest trace left of how this landscape looked a century ago. The nursery in Uqayribat can tell you where they are.