Homs

Homs (Arabic: حمص Ḥimṣ) is the third largest city in Syria. It used to be called Emesa (Greek: Ἔμεσα, Emesa). It is the capital of both the Homs District, and the Homs Governorate. It has 652,609 people (2004). It is on the Orontes River.

Homs حمص Ḥimṣ
Homs city landmarks Al Shuhadaa Square and The Old Clock Tower  • The New Clock Tower Square  • Al Dablan Street  • Krak des Chevaliers  • Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium  • Khalid ibn al-Walid Mosque  • The New Clock Tower  • City landscape from Rooftops
Nickname:  The city of Ibn al-Walid
Homs Location in Syria
Coordinates: 34°43′51″N 36°42′34″E
Country	Syria
Governorate	Homs Governorate
District	Homs District
Settled	2000 BCE
Government
• Governor	Ghassan Mustafa Abdul-Aal[1]
• President of City Council	Nadia Kseibi
Area
• City	48 km2 (19 sq mi)
• Urban	76 km2 (29 sq mi)
• Metro	104 km2 (40 sq mi)
Elevation	501 m (1,644 ft)
Population  (2004 census[2])
• City	652,609
• Metro	750,501
Time zone	UTC+3 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (EEST)
Area code	031
Website	http://www.homscitycouncil.org.sy

Homs is home to the Al-Baath University. The university is one of four major universities in Syria.

Homs has two football clubs. The Al-Karamah Sports Club was founded in 1928 and is one the oldest sports club in Syria.^[3] The Al-Karamah Sports Club has won eight Syrian League titles, and eight Syrian Cup titles.^[4] The second sports club of the city is Al-Wathba Sports Club. They started in 1937. The Khaled Ibn Al Walid Stadium has a 35,000-seat capacity. The stadium is home to both football clubs.^[3][5]