St. Simeon's and the Dead Cities

Yesterday I was woken up by a phone call from Waheed at six minutes past eight. I had slept through my alarm clock and was late for my 8am meeting with my driver. I quickly showered and got dressed and soon we were on our way to St. Simeon’s Basilica. St. Simeon was born in the late 4th century and joined a monastery at an early age. Finding life monastery not austere enough he decided instead to go and live in a cave. Word of his piousness spread and people came to seek his blessing.



Simeon however was not keen on visitors so he erected a 3m-high pillar and perched himself on top. Over the years as his intolerance of people grew so too did the pillars on which he perched with the final pillar supposed to be 18m high. Simeon preached from his pillar but refused to speak to women, including even his mother. Pilgrims flocked from as far away as France and Britain to see this strange man. When he died he was said to be the most famous man in the world and a basilica was built in his honour. The remains of the basilica and several pilgrim lodges are in excellent condition and the views of the surrounding plains are spectacular.

From the basilica we drove south to the famous dead cities of al Bara and Serjilla. Al Bara is the largest of the dead cities and was once a true city. The remains of two pyramid tombs and that of five churches as well as a plethora of houses are largely overgrown and flanked by olive groves. Clambering around the ruins is truly special, not least because I had them completely to myself.




Serjilla is spookier insofar as the buildings are in excellent condition and do not look like ruins. The ground here is not so fertile so there is almost no vegetation so that the buildings also look tended to. You might easily imagine that someone will step out of one of the buildings on some errand. Set in a moor in a sparse valley the site is remarkable and some of the buildings, particularly the tavern and the hammam (or bath house) are very beautiful.

- David