Homs ( ) 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 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. The Al-Karamah Sports Club has won eight Syrian League titles, and eight Syrian Cup titles. 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.