Deir Samaan (دير سمعان) is one of the most noteworthy Byzantine sites in the region, but is surprisingly overlooked by many visiting tourists. As neighboring Qalaat Samaan (قلعة سمعان) developed into a major center of pilgrimage, it was this town that provided services to those pilgrims, including accommodation. The village includes several inns, churches, monasteries and other buildings, many of which survive remarkably well preserved. …
The Byzantine church at al-Mushabak (المشبك) was described by archaeologist Howard Crosby Butler as “one of the most perfectly preserved of all the basilica churches of Northern Syria” during his surveys in the early 1900s. This remains true today, the church having survived another century without any significant damage. The basilica was originally constructed in the third quarter of the fifth century, at the same …
Sheikh Suleiman (شيخ سليمان) is one of the more impressive the Byzantine-era sites in the western countryside of Aleppo (حلب). Located in a relatively fertile patch of land in Jebel Samaan (جبل سمعان), the surviving ruins are surrounded by trees and other vegetation. The natural scene provides the site with additional charm, though it is being threatened by a slowly encroaching modern village. There are …
Sinkhar (سنخار) was a fairly extensive Byzantine settlement in the southeastern reaches of Jebel Samaan (جبل سمعان). While the state of preservation of the site is generally poor, one particular building is in remarkable condition. The sixth century chapel, originally attached to the southeastern façade of the much larger fourth century church, remains exceptionally well preserved. The chapel features detailed stone carved decoration, both around …
Serqaniya (سرقانيا) is a moderately sized Byzantine-era settlement that features the remains of two churches and several villas and underground tombs. Situated in a small and fertile valley, it is one of the more charming sites in the Jebel Samaan (جبل سمعان) region, particularly in the spring. The ruins are just a short walk south of the neighboring Kurdish village of Fafertin (فافرتين), and the …
Banastur (بنستور) is a Byzantine-era site on the eastern edge of Jebel Samaan (جبل سمعان). This small settlement has only a few structures, the most noteworthy of which is a tower that survives in a fairly good state of preservation. Archaeologist Howard Crosby Butler speculated that the tower was actually a residential building, rather than one of the monastic retreats that were so common to …
al-Bara (البارة) is the site of an extensive Byzantine-era settlement, perhaps the largest in the limestone massif, and should be included on any itinerary to the region. In addition to numerous villas and churches in varying states of preservation, the site has two pyramid tombs (one of which is richly decorated with stone carvings), an interesting monastery complex, and a small fortress constructed centuries later. While …
Perhaps the most well preserved of Byzantine-era sites in the limestone massif, Serjilla (سرجلا) should be included on any itinerary to the region. Nowhere else can you get a better sense of what life would have been like in rural Syria during the Byzantine period. Spread over a small valley and surrounding hills, the settlement includes a remarkably well preserved church, inn, baths, olive presses, tombs and …
Shinshirah (شنشراح), also known as Khirbet Has (خربة حاس), is one the largest Byzantine settlements in the limestone massif. With the remains of dozens of large villas and several churches on a hilltop plateau, Shinshirah (شنشراح) is one of the most impressive sites in the region. While the remains are not as well-preserved as nearby Serjilla (سرجلا), nor is the architecture as ornate as in al-Bara …
Rabiaa (ربيعة) is a minor site of mostly Byzantine-era remains located between the more substantial sites of Serjilla (سرجلا) and Shinshirah (شنشراح) in the southern portion of the Jebel al-Zawiyeh (جبل الزاوية) region. Rabiaa (ربيعة) was later occupied during the Crusader and early Islamic periods, though there is minimal evidence of this. There is an interesting stone carved monument to the west of the main cluster of ruins. The other …
