Batuta (باطوطة), is a village in northwestern Syria, located in the Jebel Sem’an region of the

Dead Cities The Dead Cities () or Forgotten Cities () are a group of 700 abandoned settlements in northwest Syria between Aleppo and Idlib. Around 40 villages grouped in eight archaeological parks situated in north-western Syria provide an insight into rura ...

. The village was founded in the 4th century CE. By the 6th century, it had two churches and more than twelve other stone buildings. Batuta’s hilltop location, surrounded by other villages on the valley and hillsides, enabled it to serve as a center of roads across the Jebel Sem’an for the oil trade. In 2011, the village was named a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

as part of the Dead Cities.

Location

Batuta is located west of

Fafertin Faftertin (; ) is a village in northwestern Syria, located in the Mount Simeon District, Jebel Sem'an region of the Dead Cities. The village was founded in the 4th century Common Era, CE, and in 2011 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site as par ...

(فافرتين) and Surqaniya (سرقانيا), two other villages in the Dead Cities. The ruins are spread out over a large area on high ground in the Jebel Sem’an region.

Archaeological Remains

Two churches and several other stone structures remain in Batuta, today. Some structures bear dated inscriptions. In the center of town is the main church, a colonnaded basilica with a semicircular apse built in the 4th century. There are two main entrances on the south side, rectangular windows and protruding stone blocks for building support, typical characteristics of 4th century Christian architecture. The nave has 5 bays and aisles on each side, with only the south arcade preserved. The column capitals along the nave each have distinct styles. These include: a Corinthian capital without volutes, a capital of the Syrian Ionic order, a Doric-Tuscan capital, and a four-faced Ionic capital. There is a portico of piers on the church’s west end, and the east wall has graffiti by passing pilgrims. The church was rebuilt in the 5th century with a bema, which now sits in the center of the nave. 40m south of the central church is a two-story building that likely served as a dwelling. The ground floor retains a decorated votive baluster 100m southeast from the central church is another, smaller church, closer to the edge of town. This structure consists of a nave and square apse. The south and west entrances were originally protected by columned porch, which have recently collapsed. Though fragments of the south porch entablature currently lie on the ground, a medallion and part of the foliage ornament are visible.

References

{{coord, 36, 18, 21, N, 36, 53, 14, E, display=title, region:SY_type:city Dead Cities Villages in Syria