Hama ( , Biblical
Ḥamāth,
"fortress") is a city on the banks of the
Orontes River in west-central
Syria. It is located north of
Damascus and north of
Homs. It is the provincial capital of the
Hama Governorate. With a population of 854,000 (2009 census), Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria after
Aleppo, Damascus and
Homs.