Qalaat Kaluta قلعة كالوتا

Overlooking the village of Kaluta (كالوتا) to the east is the impressive Byzantine church complex referred to as Qalaat Kaluta (قلعة كالوتا). One of the largest churches in the region of Jebel Samaan (جبل سمعان), the building was apparently fortified during a later period, hence the Arabic name describing it as a castle. The church is relatively well preserved, with most of the exterior walls remaining intact. The stones from the interior were reused in later fortification efforts, making the original design a bit difficult to reconstruct. To the south of the church are several tombs.

 

Getting There: There is no public transportation to Qalaat Kaluta (قلعة كالوتا), but it can be approached from a few different directions. There is a very infrequent microbus from Aleppo (حلب) to Basufan (باصوفان), and this microbus travels within three kilometers of the site at the village of Zouq al-Kabir (زوق الكبير). From Zouq al-Kabir (زوق الكبير), the remaining distance must be covered on foot following the road to the northwest to the village of Kaluta (كالوتا). If you want to hire a private driver directly to the site, it would be easiest to take one of the more frequent microbuses to the nearby town of Nabl (نبل) and hire a driver from there. Alternatively, if you are hiking between the numerous other sites in the region, there is a dirt road to Qalaat Kaluta (قلعة كالوتا) from the village of Burj Heidar (برج حيدر).

Coordinates: 36°21’10.14″N / 36°56’10.10″E

Transliteration Variants: Qalaat Kalouta, Qalaat Kalota

Rating: 5.5 / 10