Qasr al-Banat قصر البنات

Qasr al-Banat (قصر البنات) is a surprisingly well preserved Byzantine building to the north of al-Dana al-Janoubiyeh (الدانا الجنوبية). It is three floors, with the lower two levels on the south faced with a double portico in simple square columns. The style is unreservedly plain and severe. The plan resembles somewhat the monastery known as Deir Sobat in nearby al-Bara (البارة), but given the small scale of the rooms, the lack of courtyards, and the small size of the chamber that might be seen as a chapel, archaeologist Howard Crosby Butler prefers to see it as an inn, perhaps with a small room set aside for prayer, rather than the monastery or convent of tradition.

 

Getting There: Qasr al-Banat (قصر البنات) is within walking distance of the nearby village of al-Dana al-Janoubiyeh (الدانا الجنوبية). The site is about one kilometer from the center of the village, following the main road through town that eventually heads north. Infrequent microbuses connect al-Dana al-Janoubiyeh (الدانا الجنوبية) with Maarat al-Naaman (معرة النعمان), a few kilometers to the south. Maarat al-Naaman (معرة النعمان) has frequent microbus connections with Aleppo (حلب) and occasional microbus connections with Idleb (إدلب) and Hama (حماة).

Coordinates: 35°42’33.97″N / 36°41’06.35″E

Transliteration Variants: Qasr al-Benat, Qasr al-Binat

Rating: 3 / 10