ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – The scars of more than a decade of war, looting and illegal excavations remain visible at the ancient Monastery of Saint Simeon Stylites in aleppo Governorate, northwestern Syria, as Syrian and French officials explore prospects for restoring the historic site.
A French archaeological delegation, accompanied by the French charge d’affaires in Syria and representatives of the French Catholic organization Oeuvre d’Orient and the French Institute of the Near East, visited the monastery and the nearby archaeological site of Brad in the Aleppo countryside to assess their condition and discuss future cooperation.
The visit, accompanied by AFP, was organized in coordination with Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums and aimed at exploring plans to reopen and restore the Saint Simeon site, while highlighting the historical and archaeological significance of the region’s heritage.
Archaeologist Micheline Kurdy, who has dedicated her doctoral research to the monastery complex, documented the site’s condition during the visit and discussed possible initial interventions.
“There is irreparable damage in the monastery in the southeastern section, but on the other hand the church is standing firm and in good condition,” Kurdy told AFP.
Cracked arches and partially collapsed stone walls are visible inside the monastery, while the former monks’ living quarters have remained largely intact.
The fifth-century monastery and its church form part of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising hundreds of abandoned ancient settlements commonly known as the “Dead Cities.”
The site was subjected to looting, illegal excavations, military use and years of neglect during Syria’s conflict, according to Abdel Jalil Arabi, the site’s director.
Arabi said the monastery was controlled by different armed groups during the war and estimated that between 30 and 40 percent of the site had been damaged.
An airstrike hit the monastery in 2016, an incident condemned by UNESCO without identifying those responsible. The site was also further damaged by a major earthquake that struck the region in 2023.
Among the most visible losses is the collapse of the western arch and its columns.
“The base is there, but the remains of the column are scattered, and we will try to rebuild it,” Arabi told AFP, referring to the column associated with Saint Simeon Stylites.
The monastery was built around the column where Saint Simeon spent years in prayer and became one of the most important early Christian pilgrimage sites. Its church is considered among the oldest major churches in Christianity.
Kurdy said restoration teams would need to review historical plans to determine how to reinstall the base and surviving sections of the main column.
Jean-Baptiste Faivre, the French charge d’affaires in Syria, said the site represents an important part of the country’s heritage and future.
“This heritage is extremely important, not only for Syria’s past but also for its future,” Faivre said, adding that cooperation between Syria’s Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums and French cultural institutions would support efforts to restore and develop the site.
Vincent Gelot of Oeuvre d’Orient said restoration efforts would rely on donors and partners, including the French Embassy and the Aliph Foundation, which supports the protection of cultural heritage in conflict-affected areas.
“We hope that tourists and pilgrims will one day return to this place, because it still carries a message and speaks to us even today,” Gelot said.
The visit comes as Syria seeks to renew international cooperation to preserve and restore its cultural heritage, much of which was damaged or looted during the conflict that began in 2011.
The country’s archaeological sites and historic cities suffered extensive damage during the war. The ancient city of Palmyra, one of Syria’s most prominent archaeological sites, was severely damaged and looted after Islamic State captured it in 2015.
The delegation’s visit to Brad and Saint Simeon highlights growing efforts to document and protect Syria’s archaeological heritage and could pave the way for further international cooperation to restore major historic sites in the north.