HAMA, an ancient Hittite city, built on both banks of the Orontes, now a centre of commerce for the Bedouin : pop. 51,000 (about 6,000 Christians). The citadel hill, which is partly arti ficial, rises to a height of about 130 feet. European competition has seriously affected the silk, woollen and cotton manufactures for which the city was formerly noted. It has connection by rail through Aleppo with the Constantinople-Baghdad railway on the north, and through Homs with the Beirut-Damascus railway on the south. Interesting and peculiar to Hama are the vast water wheels (na`ura) which raise the water to the higher levels for irrigation. In the 14th century there were over 3o of these wheels; now only nine.
History.—Hama was an early Hittite settlement and is the most southerly place where Hittite inscriptions have been found. Lying athwart the Assyrian road to the west lands it fell a prey to Shalmanassar II. (854 and 849 B.c.) to Tiglath Pileser III. (738 B.c.) , and to Sargon (72o B.c.) . According to 2 Kings, xvii., 24, a portion of its inhabitants was transported to northern Israel.
In the Hellenistic period Hama received the name Epiphania in honour of Antiochus (iv.) Epiphanes. It surrendered to the Mo hammedans (A.D. 638) and its Christian basilica was transformed into a mosque (the Great Mosque). It was captured by the Cru saders (11o8), retaken by the Mohammedans (1115), and occu pied by Saladin (1187). During the 12th century it suffered severely from earthquakes. The famous Arab geographer, Abu'l Fida (14th century), was its prince and under him the city enjoyed great prosperity. (E. Ro.)