Burj Aizarara برج عيزارارا

Burj Aizarara (برج عيزارارا) is a small and largely ruined monastery complex from the Byzantine period, located southeast of the village of Kafr Darian (كفر دلريان) in Jebel Barisha (جبل باريشا). The structure dates from the second half of the sixth century. The design is rather austere, lacking in decoration, but its proximity to the more substantial ruins of Maaz (ماعز) make it worth a quick visit.

 

Getting There: Getting to Burj Aizarara (برج عيزارارا) is a bit of a challenge. First, one must travel to Sarmada (سرمدا). There are fairly frequent microbuses between Sarmada (سرمدا) and Aleppo (حلب), and any microbus traveling from Aleppo (حلب) to Harem (حارم) will also pass through. There are also occasional microbuses between Sarmada (سرمدا) and Idleb (إدلب).

From Sarmada (سرمدا), there is an additional nine kilometers to travel via the village of Kafr Darian (كفر دلريان), five kilometers to the west, and then the site of Maaz (ماعز), another four kilometers to the south. There are occasional microbuses from Sarmada (سرمدا) to Kafr Darian (كفر دلريان), but the remaining distance must be traveled either on foot, by hitchhiking, or by hiring a private driver. From Maaz (ماعز) it is about one kilometer to Burj Aizarara (برج عيزارارا), an easy walk on a maintained dirt road to the east.

Coordinates: 36°08’48.18″N / 36°40’33.54″E

Transliteration Variants: Burj Ayzarara, Burj Eizarara, Burj Eyzarara

Rating: 1.5 / 10