Kharab Shams Basilica
بازيليكا خراب شمس
An early basilica church in the Mount Simeon hills, remarkable for its still-standing upper arcade and clerestory windows.
In the Mount Simeon hills northwest of Aleppo, near Afrin, stands the church of Kharab Shams, one of the early basilicas scattered across the Dead Cities, probably from the 4th or 5th century.
Its remarkable feature is the survival of the arcade that separated the nave from an aisle, still standing and topped by the clerestory wall with its small windows — a rare sight that lets visitors imagine the church's full height fifteen centuries ago.
Built of local limestone in the fine dry-masonry typical of the region and surrounded by remains of the village it served, it sits among rocky hills and olive groves, and can be visited with Qal'at Sim'an and Deir Sim'an. Within the area of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria World Heritage property.
Note: photos may not reflect the site's current condition.
For the visitor
Location: 36.3394, 36.9428 · Open on the map
Photos
Photos: Jim Gordon — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY) · Frank Kidner — via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
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