Deir Semaan
| Church of Saint Simeon Stylites كنيسة مار سمعان العمودي قلعة سمعان |
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Overview of the complex
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Mount Simeon, Aleppo Governorate, Syria |
| Geographic coordinates | 36°20′03″N 36°50′38″E / 36.33417°N 36.84389°ECoordinates: 36°20′03″N 36°50′38″E / 36.33417°N 36.84389°E |
| Affiliation | Christianity |
| Year consecrated | 475 AD |
| Status | in ruins |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Byzantine architecture |
The Church of Saint Simeon Stylites (Arabic: كنيسة مار سمعان العمودي Kanīsat Mār Simʿān el-ʿAmūdī) is a historical building located about 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Aleppo, Syria. It is one of the oldest surviving Byzantine churches, dating back to the 5th century. Built on the site of the pillar of St. Simeon Stylites, a famed hermit monk, the church is popularly known as either Qalaat Semaan (Arabic: قلعة سمعان Qalʿat Simʿān), the 'Fortress of Simeon', or Deir Semaan (Arabic: دير سمعان Dayr Simʿān), the 'Monastery of Simeon' .
As of June 2011, the Church and surrounding village was designated by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as part of the "Ancient Villages of Northern Syria", a World Heritage Site.
The Church was held by Islamist extremist groups (including Islamic State) who are opposed to reverence for and existence of shrines and holy sites, both Muslim and Christian raising concerns for its continued existence. On the 28th of May 2015 the church was captured by the Kurdish YPG/YPJ with apparently little damage. On 12 May 2016, the church was heavily damaged in an air strike.
The Baptistry
South facade of Church of Saint Simeon
Icon of Saint Simeon
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Wikipedia