Church of Saint Simeon Stylites
| Church of Saint Simeon Stylites كنيسة مار سمعان العمودي قلعة سمعان | |
|---|---|
 Overview of the complex | |
| 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 |
| Country | Syria |
| 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.[1]
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 28 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.[2]
Gallery
The Baptistry
South facade of Church of Saint Simeon
Icon of Saint Simeon
Facade of Church of Saint Simeon
Pattern in the walls of the Church
Remains of the atrium
See also
References
- ↑ "Ancient Villages of Northern Syria". UNESCO. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ↑ "Director-General of UNESCO deplores severe damage at Church of Saint Simeon, in northern Syria". UNESCO. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- Gary Vikan, Byzantine Pilgrimage Art (Dumbarton Oaks Papers, 1982), 8–9.
- Simeon Citadel and Dead Cities, Suggestion to have Saint Simeon Stylites recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site, in 2006, as part of "Simeon Citadel and Dead Cities"-project.
- "St. Simeon Church." Syria Gate (accessed 2008).
- Sacred Destinations
- http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1348/multiple=1&unique_number=1761
Further reading
- Weitzmann, Kurt, ed., Age of spirituality: late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century, no. 590, 1979, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ISBN 9780870991790
External links
Media related to Church of Saint Simeon Stylites at Wikimedia Commons
- Gatier, P.; T. Sinclair; M. Ballance; R. Warner; R. Talbert; T. Elliott; S. Gillies. "Places: 658606 (Symeon, Mon.)". Pleiades. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
