Qaṣr al-Banāt; Kasr il-Benat Complete

Description

Regarded as one of northern Syria’s most notable monastic ruins—surpassed only by Qalʿat Simʿān—Qaṣr al-Banāt occupies the floor of the depression lying between Gabal Barisa and Gabal Halaqa. The site preserves the remains of a monastic complex whose components included a basilican church, lodging for monks and visiting pilgrims, a tower used by a hermit, and a cemetery. Whether the resident community was male or female has not been determined. Further reading: TIB 15 – Todt, K.P., Vest, B.A., 2014. Tabula Imperii Byzantini, vol. 15, Vienna, 1601 –1602. Peña, I., Castellana, P., Fernandez, R., 1980. Les Reclus Syriens, Jerusalem, 228 – 233.