Since 1996, the Universities of Tübingen and Princeton, in cooperation with the Syrian Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums, have undertaken successful excavations in Emar, an important Bronze Age town, and in the town of Barbalissos – Balis, which succeeded Emar. An Umayyad palace and a Shiite sanctuary dating to the 11th century were exposed in the immediate vicinity so that, on an area of less than two square kilometres, a unique panorama of Syrian history is now displayed. Offering a grandiose view the steep banks of Lake Assad add to the attractions of the site.