Burjkeh برجكة

Burjkeh (برجكة) is a small Kurdish village with two items of interest: a small Byzantine church and an impressive tower after which the village takes its name. The church, alongside the road, dates from the sixth century. The side facade and central doorway are decorated with a meandering band of carvings. Like the chapel at nearby Serqaniya (سرقانيا), the chancel is rectangular and had a flat roof of stone. The nearby tower dates from the sixth century and was probably once part of a monastery complex. It is eleven meters high and was originally five stories. In Islamic times it was fortified at the base for defensive purposes.

 

Getting There: Getting to Burjkeh (برجكة), like other sites in this region, is a bit of a challenge. There is no regular public transportation to the village. The nearby village of Basufan (باصوفان) does have direct microbus connections with Aleppo (حلب), and that microbus passes by a road to Burjkeh (برجكة). The turn-off is about one kilometer beyond the site of Kharab Shams (خراب شمس), and leaves about four kilometers to travel on foot to the southwest. The trip only takes about thirty minutes, but unfortunately these microbuses are very infrequent. Alternatively, Burjkeh (برجكة) is only about five kilometers southeast of Qalaat Samaan (قلعة سمعان), the most prominent site in the region. Depending on your itinerary, it may be more convenient to walk or hitchhike from there, or hire a private driver from the nearby town of Daret Azeh (دارة عزة).

Coordinates: 36°19’25.80″N / 36°53’35.71″E

Transliteration Variants: Burjke, Berjkeh, Berjke, Burgkeh, Burgke, Bergkeh, Bergke

Rating: 4 / 10