Palmyra (; Palmyrene: "Tadmor"; "Tadmor") is a city in central Syria, administratively part of the Homs Governorate. It is located in an oasis in the middle of the Syrian Desert northeast of Damascus and southwest of the Euphrates River. The ruins of ancient Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are situated about southwest of the modern city centre. Relatively isolated, the nearest localities include Arak to the east, Al-Sukhnah further to the northeast, Tiyas to the west and al-Qaryatayn to the southwest.