Adoration of the Magi token (BM 1973,0501.18)

Type: Portable Object
Tags: Adoration of the Magi, C5th-C6th, Christ, Late Antique, Magi, Pilgrimage Object, Portable Object, Qalat Seman, Star, Syria, Terracotta, The British Museum, Token, Virgin Mary

Adoration of the Magi (BM 1973,0501.16)

Type: Portable Object
Tags: Adoration of the Magi, C5th-C6th, Christ, Late Antique, Magi, Pilgrimage Object, Portable Object, Qalat Seman, Star, Syria, Terracotta, Token, Virgin Mary

Adoration of the Magi token (1973,0501.15)

Type: Portable Object
Tags: Adoration of the Magi, C5th-C6th, Christ, Late Antique, Magi, Pilgrimage Object, Portable Object, Qalat Seman, Star, Syria, Terracotta, Token, Virgin Mary

Adoration of the Magi token (1973,0501.14)

Type: Portable Object
Tags: Adoration of the Magi, C5th-C6th, Christ, Late Antique, Magi, Pilgrimage Object, Portable Object, Qalat Seman, Star, Syria, Terracotta, Token, Virgin Mary

Qal'at Seman 1992

These images of Qal'at Seman were taken in December 1992

Type: Architecture
Tags: C5th, Church, Limestone Massif, Pilgrimage, Pillar, Qalat Seman, Simeon Stylites, Syria

Qal'at Seman 1962

These images of Qal'at Seman, the famous shrine of St. Symeon Stylites the Elder on Jebel Seman are valuable because they are taken midway between the French restoration of the site in the 1930s and the way the site looked in the late 1990s when the majority of the rest of the photographs in this archive were taken. They show the complex to be well maintained, with less visitors (local or foreign) than were customary by the pre war years.

Type: Architecture
Tags: 1962, Archaeology, Architecture, Basilica, C5th, Church, Jebel Seman, Limestone Massif, Martyrium, Pilgrimage, Pillar, Qalat Seman, Simeon Stylites, Syria

Zar Zita

Zar Zita is a small village to the south west of Qalat Seman. It has scattered Roman and late antique buildings including an imposing first or second century mausoleum in the centre of the settlement.

Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Jebel Seman, Late Antique, Limestone Massif, Mausoleum, Qalat Seman, Roman, Syria, Zar Zita

Madrasa Halawiyeh

The madrasa is an Islamic school that was built by Nur al-Din (1118-1174) on the apse of the former Byzantine cathedral of Aleppo. The capitals are very close stylistically to those at Qalat Seman, suggesting that the church was originally built in the second half of the fifth century. Beside the steps down into the madrasa is a large basalt block inscribed with Christian symbols and some Syriac words. Its placement seems designed to underline Islamic supremacy over the former Christian owners of the site.

Type: Architecture
Tags: Aleppo, Architecture, Basalt, Byzantine, C12th, C5th, Capital, Cathedral, Church, Inscription, Madrasa, Madrasa Halawiyeh, Nur al-DIn, Qalat Seman, Sculpture, Syria, Syriac, Syriac Inscription

Dayr Seman

Dayr Seman is the village at the foot of the hill on which Qalat Seman stands and was the main reception centre for the many pilgrims who flocked to visit Simon Stylites, and after his death in 459, the pillar that he stood on. These are general views of the settlement and the triumphal arch that marked the path for pilgrims travelling to Qalat Seman.

Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Dayr Seman, Jebel Seman, Landscape, Limestone Massif, Pilgrimage, Qalat Seman, Simeon Stylites, Syria, Triumphal Arch

Sitt er Rum

The small settlement of Sitt er Rum is west of Qalat Seman one the other side of the valley. Its most complete extant monument is the late antique tower beside the road to Zar Zita and Qatura.

Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Jebel Seman, Late Antique, Limestone Massif, Qalat Seman, Qatura, Sitt er Rum, Syria, Tower, Zar Zita