Syria Trails › Places

Church of Saint Simeon Stylites (Qal'at Sim'an)

قلعة سمعان (كنيسة القديس سمعان العمودي)

Vast late-5th-century church built around the pillar of St Simeon Stylites on Mount Simeon, northwest of Aleppo; part of UNESCO's Ancient Villages.

On a plateau of Mount Simeon northwest of Aleppo stand the ruins of one of the greatest churches of the early Byzantine world. Here, in the 5th century, the monk Simeon lived for decades on top of a stone pillar, drawing pilgrims from across the empire.

After his death Emperor Zeno ordered a huge complex around the pillar: an octagonal court holding the column, from which four basilicas branch out in the shape of a cross, with a monastery, a baptistery and pilgrim routes. It was among the largest churches of the East before Hagia Sophia.

Finely cut local limestone, arches and carved capitals make it a masterpiece of north Syrian architecture. Fortified by the Byzantines in the 10th century, it became known as Qal'at Sim'an, "Simeon's Castle". Only a small stump of the pillar survives, chipped away by pilgrims over centuries.

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

Photos

Photos: Wikimedia Commons — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) · Institut Français Du Proche-Orient (ifpo) — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY)