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Syria UNESCO world heritage sites

Aleppo district [capital = Aleppo]

Ancient City of Aleppo @
The Citadel, the 12th-century Great Mosque and various 16th and 17th-centuries madrasas, residences, khans and public baths, all form part of the city's cohesive, unique urban fabric.

Historic settlement of Sinkhar
Its Basilica is among the oldest churches in Syria and dates back to the fourth century, while the nearby chapel is sixth century.

The Cathedral of St. Simeon Stylite in Afrin
One of the most celebrated ecclesiastical monuments in Syria and among the oldest standing Christian churches in the world.

Kafr Nabw in Barad
An ancient settlement, located 32 km (20 mi) west of Aleppo, has many old basilicas; for example, the Saint Julianus Maronite monastery (399-402 AD) where the shrine of Saint Maron is located, and a basilica at the northern part of the village built in 561.

Damascus district [capital = Damascus]

Ancient City of Damascus @
The earliest visible physical evidence dates to the Roman period - the extensive remains of the Temple of Jupiter, the remains of various gates and an impressive section of the Roman city walls. The city was the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate. However, apart from the incomparable Great Mosque, built on the site of a Roman temple and over-laying a Christian basilica, there is little visible dating from this important era of the city's history. The present city walls, the Citadel, some mosques and tombs survive from the Middle Ages, but the greatest part of the built heritage of the city dates from after the Ottoman conquest of the early 16th century.

Daraa district [capital = Daraa]

Ancient City of Bosra
Bosra, once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia, was an important stopover on the ancient caravan route to Mecca. A magnificent 2nd-century Roman theatre, early Christian ruins and several mosques are found within its great walls.

Homs district [capital = Homs]

Castle of the Knights in Qala'at al-Hosn @
Krak des Chevaliers, (French-Arabic: “Castle of the Knights”) greatest fortress built by European crusaders in Syria and Palestine, one of the most notable surviving examples of medieval military architecture.

Ruins in Palmyra @
The ruins at Palmyra clearly reveal the network plan of the ancient city. Along the principal east-west street, named the Grand Colonnade by archaeologists, a double portico is ornamented with three nymphaea. To the south are the agora, the Senate House, and the theatre. Other ruins include a vast complex called Diocletian’s Camp and the chief Palmyrene sanctuary, dedicated to Bel, Yarhibol, and Aglibol; a number of significant ancient Christian churches have also been uncovered. In architecture the Corinthian order marks almost all the monuments, but the influence of Mesopotamia and Iran is also clearly evident. In addition, art found on monuments and tombs reflects the influences of the surrounding Roman and Persian empires.

Idlib district [capital = Idlib]

Ancient Village of Deiroune (Barisha) at N36 12 38.00 E36 39 35.00
Specific archaeological components include a well preserved monastic chapel of rare decorative quality.

Ancient Village of Qalb Loze (Sarden) at N36 10 9.00 E36 34 51.00
The church at Qalb Lozeh dates back to the 460s AD and is one of the best-preserved churches of this period in the region.

Ancient Village of KafrAqareb (Haj Nayef) at N36 2 3.00 E36 26 26.00
The Ancient Villages of Northern Syria and their relict landscapes provide exceptional testimony to the architecture of the rural house and civilian and religious community buildings at the end of the Classical era and in the Byzantine Period.

Ancient Village of Ruweiha
Ruweiha is characterized by an interesting combination of Roman and Byzantine remains that include numerous tombs of varying architectural styles, two large churches, and several villas built on a very large scale.

Ancient Village of Al-Bara at N35 40 11.00 E36 34 7.00
Ruins are the most extensive of all Dead Cities and are scattered among fields, olive groves and orchards. Among many others, one can distinguish remains of at least five churches, three monasteries, several villas, two pyramidal tombs and one underground tomb.

Latakia district [capital = Latakia]

Qal’at Salah El-Din in Al Haffah @
On the right of the entrance is a tower, a bastion built by the Crusaders. There is another a few meters further. There is a cistern for water storage and some stables just next to a massive keep that overlooks the ditch. This keep has walls of 5 m thick and it covers an area of nearly 24 m². Further on to the north is the gate where the drawbridge used to be. Also evident are the Byzantine citadel, located at the center of the fortress, another large cistern, the Crusader tea house, and a Crusader church adjoining one of two Byzantine chapels. As for the Arab additions to the fortress, they include a mosque, which dates back to Qalawun's reign, and a palace, which includes baths with courtyards and iwans.