Ancient Villages of Northern Syria

Dead Cities

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	Limestone Massif, Syria
Coordinates	36°20′N 36°50′E / 36.33°N 36.83°E / 36.33; 36.83
Area	12,290 ha (1.323×109 sq ft)
Includes	Basufan Al-Dana Al-Dana Babuline Banabil Bara Barad Barisha Church of Saint Simeon Stylites Cyrrhus Deir Sunbul Ebla Ein Laruz Farkya Hazarin Jarada Kafr Aruq Kafr Dariyan Maghara Qalb Loze Sarmada Serjilla Shinan, Syria Turmanin
Criteria	iii, iv, v
Reference	1348
Inscription	2011 (35th Session)
Location of Dead Cities
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The Dead Cities (Arabic: المدن الميتة‎‎) or Forgotten Cities (Arabic: المدن المنسية‎‎) are a group of 700 abandoned settlements in northwest Syria between Aleppo and Idlib. Around 40 villages grouped in eight archaeological parks situated in north-western Syria provide an insight into rural life in Late Antiquity and during the Byzantine period. Most villages which date from the 1st to 7th centuries, became abandoned between the 8th and 10th centuries. The settlements feature the well-preserved architectural remains of dwellings, pagan temples, churches, cisterns, bathhouses etc. Important dead cities include the Church of Saint Simeon Stylites, Serjilla and al Bara.

The Dead Cities are situated in an elevated area of limestone known as Limestone Massif. These ancient settlements cover an area 20–40 km (12–25 mi) wide and some 140 km (87 mi) long. The Massif includes three groups of highlands: the first is the northern group of Mount Simeon and Mount Kurd; the second middle group is the group of Harim Mountains; the third southern group is the group of Zawiya Mountain.

Chris Wickham, in the authoritative survey of the post-Roman world, Framing the Early Middle Ages (2006) argues that these were settlements of prosperous peasants which have few or no specifically urban features. The impressive remains of domestic architecture are the result of the prosperity of peasants who benefited from a strong international trade in olive oil at the end of Antiquity.