Hama, Ancient Epiphania, is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria. It's history is dating back to the Chalcolithic period circa 4000 BC. The city is renowned for its seventeen norias used for watering the gardens, which are locally claimed to date back to 1100 BC. The Norias of Hama were added to UNESCO tentative list in 1999.