Sarfud صرفود

The Byzantine site of Sarfud (صرفود) is spread out over rocky hills north of the road linking the town of Sarmada (سرمدا) with Kafr Darian (كفر دلريان) at the base of Jebel Barisha (جبل باريشا). While the remains at the top of the hill (southern portion of the site) are badly ruined, there are several isolated towers to the northern end of the settlement that are of interest. These appear to be monastic towers that served a religious (rather than defensive) purpose and are fairly well-preserved. The site also provides a nice view of the nearby monastery complex of al-Breij (البريج), across the valley.

 

Getting There: Getting to Sarfud (صرفود) isn’t difficult, but does require a bit of hiking. First travel to Sarmada (سرمدا), which has frequent microbus connections with Aleppo (حلب). Any microbus bound for Harem (حارم) will also pass through, and there are occasional microbuses linking Sarmada (سرمدا) to Idleb (إدلب). The trip from Aleppo (حلب) takes about 30 minutes. Once in Sarmada (سرمدا), follow the road which runs west out of the village and heads towards Kafr Darian (كفر دلريان). After a bit over two kilometers, the ruins of Sarfud (صرفود) will be visible on a ridge to the right (north). The more impressive ruins are on the opposite slope of the hill.

Alternatively, the ruins can be approached from the north near the site of al-Breij (البريج). This approach requires hiking through some fields and scrambling up the hillside, but cuts the walking distance to only a little over one kilometer to the towers.

Coordinates: 36°11’11.70″N / 36°41’17.99″E

Transliteration Variants: Sarfoud, Sirfud, Sirfoud

Rating: 4 / 10