Sarmada
Sarmada
سرمدا | |
|---|---|
  Sarmada Location in Syria | |
| Coordinates: 36°11′N 36°43′E / 36.183°N 36.717°E | |
| Country |  Syria |
| Governorate | Idlib |
| District | Harem |
| Subdistrict | al-Dana |
| Population (2007 est.) | |
| • Total | 15,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
Sarmada (Arabic: سرمدا) is a town in the Harem District, Idlib Governorate of Syria.[1] It is in the extreme northwest of Syria near the border with Turkey.
A church was consecrated in Sarmada by Patriarch Elias of Antioch in 722 CE.[2] It is also the place in which the Battle of Sarmada took place between the Principality of Antioch and the Artukids on June 28, 1119.
Monuments[edit]
Column of Sarmada[edit]
The town is distinguished by the Roman tomb of Alexandras, dated to the second century CE.[3] The tomb is rectangular and supports two columns, composed of thirteen cylicrical stones, joined together at the tenth cylinder by a horizontal piece with a further capital on top.[4]
Monastery of Saint Daniel and Hisn ad-Dair[edit]
The Monastery of Saint Daniel (also known as Breij or Braij or al-Breij) is located 2 km west of the town, perched in a hillside location about 400 metres from the road.[5] The monastery is dated to the 6th century CE during the later monastic phase of the Dead Cities.[6]
A monastery called Hisn ad-Dair near Sarmada was given to Alan of Gael by Baldwin II of Jerusalem in 1121 AD, when it was described as a fortified monastery.[7] There is also mention of a castle with three watchtowers in the area.[8]
Roman temple[edit]
A further 4 km along the road towards Baqirha is a Roman temple dedicated to Zeus. Epigraphic evidence was found dating the structure to c. 169 CE. The temple features a massive gateway and cella along with one surviving column of what once was a four columned portico.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Sarmada; Esyria
- ^ Jan J. Ginkel; Hendrika Lena Murre-van den Berg; Theo Maarten Van Lint (2005). Redefining Christian Identity: Cultural Interaction in the Middle East Since the Rise of Islam. Peeters Publishers. pp. 1–. ISBN 978-90-429-1418-6. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ Warwick Ball (2000). Rome in the East. Taylor & Francis. pp. 363–. ISBN 978-0-415-11376-2. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ Soubhi Saouaf (1957). Six tours in the vicinity of Aleppo; visitors' guide. Georges Salem. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ Diana Darke (2010). Syria, 2nd. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 200–. ISBN 978-1-84162-314-6. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ a b Andrew Beattie; Timothy Pepper (2001). The Rough Guide to Syria. Rough Guides. pp. 2–. ISBN 978-1-85828-718-8. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ Thomas S. Asbridge (2000). The Creation of the Principality of Antioch, 1098–1130. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. pp. 82–84, 88, 161. ISBN 978-0-85115-661-3. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
- ^ Hugh N. Kennedy (2006). Muslim Military Architecture in Greater Syria: From the Coming of Islam to the Ottoman Period. Brill. pp. 291–. ISBN 978-90-04-14713-3. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
External links[edit]
- Column of Sarmada on 3Darchaeology.blogspot.co.uk
- Photo of the Column of Sarmada on Flickr
- Sarmada on Wikimapia
- Images of alleged clandestine excavations being carried out at an archaeological site in Sarmada on the Facebook page of Le patrimoine archéologique syrien en danger
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