Basilica of Qalb Loze
كنيسة قلب لوزة
5th-century Byzantine church in Jebel al-A'la, Idlib, a masterpiece of church architecture anticipating styles later seen in Europe.
In the village of Qalb Loze in Jebel al-A'la, northwest Idlib, stands one of the finest early Byzantine churches anywhere, built around the mid-5th century when the region's stone villages — today's Dead Cities — flourished.
Probably linked to pilgrimage to St Simeon, whose route passed nearby, it has a west front flanked by two towers, seen by architectural historians as an early forerunner of Romanesque façades in Europe, and wide arches separating nave and aisles instead of closely set columns.
Qalb Loze, "Heart of the Almond", lies at about 670 metres on Jebel al-A'la (Jabal Samaan) near the Turkish border; its Druze inhabitants farm olives and tobacco. The church dates to the 460s AD and is one of the best-preserved churches of that period in the region.
Much survives, including the semicircular apse with carved friezes. It is part of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria World Heritage property (2011).
Note: photos may not reflect the site's current condition.
For the visitor
Location: 36.1691, 36.5809 · Open on the map
Photos
Photos: Haubi|Gerhard Haubold — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Odilia — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Frank Kidner — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
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