Along the limestone uplands of north-western Syria, close to the Turkish border, lie the remains of hundreds of abandoned villages from late antiquity, the so-called Dead Cities. Kafr Aqareb, on the Jebel Wastani, is one of them, part of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria listed by UNESCO in 2011. These were prosperous farming communities between roughly the first and seventh centuries, growing olives, grapes and grain, and producing oil that was traded across the Roman and Byzantine world. They built in stone, with remarkable skill: houses, churches, bath houses, olive presses and tombs, many still standing to roof height. When trade routes shifted and the region changed hands, the villages were gradually abandoned, leaving ghost towns that look as if their inhabitants left only recently.
The most famous of these sites is Qal'at Sim'an, the great church built around the pillar on which Saint Simeon Stylites lived for decades in the fifth century, preaching to crowds below. It was once one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Christian world.
The honest truth is that this region is not a place to ride today. Syria has been devastated by years of civil war, and the north-west remains volatile and dangerous. Governments almost universally advise against all travel to the country, and the border with Turkey is closed to casual crossing. The Ancient Villages are on UNESCO's list of World Heritage in Danger, and some sites have suffered damage.
What you can do is approach from the Turkish side. The province of Hatay, around Antakya, the ancient Antioch, shares much of the same landscape and history, with olive groves, limestone hills and Roman and Byzantine remains. Antakya was badly damaged by the earthquakes of 2023, and the city is still rebuilding. The roads in Hatay range from fast highways to winding mountain routes, with views over the Orontes valley and the Amik plain.
Fuel, food and services are available in Turkish towns such as Reyhanlı and Antakya. Try künefe, a hot cheese pastry soaked in syrup, a speciality of Hatay, and keep a close eye on current travel advice for anywhere near the border.