Barad () is a mountainous village in northern
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
, administratively part of the
Aleppo Governorate, located northwest of
Aleppo
Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...
. Nearby localities include
Burj Abdullah to the northwest,
Kimar to the north,
Aqiba to the northeast and
Nubl to the east. On March 21, 2018, the village came under the control of the
Syrian National Army.
Population
According to the
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), Barad had a population of 1,229 in the 2004 census.
[General Census of Population and Housing 2004](_blank)
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Aleppo Governorate. Although the vicinity of Barad is still populated, it is listed as one of the
Dead Cities, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the most extensive ancient site in the area with an important group of buildings dating from the
Byzantine era.
[Ball, 2001, p. 226.][Ball, 2001, p. 210.]
Archaeological remains
The archaeological remains in the vicinity of Barad include several old churches, an ancient monastery, a large public bathhouse, five warehouses, meeting house, a
magistrate
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judi ...
's residence, a ''
tetrapylon'', two monasteries and a cathedral. Most of these date from the Byzantine period.
[Ball, 2001, p. 226.]
The cathedral, known as the Church of Julianos, was built between 399 and 402 CE.
It is a large building containing a sizable ''
bema'' ("elevated position") in the center of the hall which represents the centrality of
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
. At the end of its wall is a book rest. Of the seven churches that were built in northern Syria before 400 CE, the Church of Julianos was one of two large three-aisled
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...
s; the other five were smaller, with only a single aisle.
A second church was built in Barad in the 6th century. The monastery, known as Qasr al-Barad, is situated about southwest of the village site.
In February 2010,
Lebanese Maronite Christian Michel Aoun led a delegation to visit Barad, in order to commemorate the 1600th anniversary of
St. Maron's death.
On 22 March 2018, Barad was bombed by Turkish forces during the
Operation Olive Branch. Several important structures were damaged or destroyed, including the tomb of St. Maron, and the Julianos Church.
References
Bibliography
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{{Aleppo Governorate, afrin
Populated places in Afrin District
Villages in Aleppo Governorate
Dead Cities