On the limestone uplands of the Jebel Zawiya in north-western Syria, among olive groves and stony fields, stand the remains of villages abandoned more than a thousand years ago. They are part of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria, often called the Dead Cities, inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2011. Ba'uda is one of these sites, with houses, churches, tombs and presses built of finely cut stone between the first and seventh centuries, when the region grew rich on olive oil.
These villages are remarkable because they survived almost intact after they were abandoned, probably due to changing trade patterns and political upheaval. You can walk through streets, enter houses with their doors and windows still in place, and see churches with apses and columns. Pyramid-roofed tombs, like those at nearby al-Bara, are particularly striking. The quality of the stonework is extraordinary, and the light on the pale limestone in the evening is beautiful.
However, the situation in this area must be taken very seriously. The Jebel Zawiya was a front line in the Syrian civil war for years, and many villages, including ancient sites, suffered damage. Even after the change of government in late 2024, the region remains affected by destruction, unexploded ordnance, mines and an unpredictable security situation. Before considering any travel here, check current advice from your government and reliable local sources, and do not leave established roads and paths.
Kafranbel, six kilometres away, is a town that became known during the war for its creative protest banners. Services in the region are unreliable, and fuel may be scarce or of poor quality. If and when travel becomes safe, the riding would be through rolling limestone country with olive groves, small villages and views towards the Orontes valley and the mountains near the coast, where the great castle of Qal'at Salah ed-Din stands.
For now, the Dead Cities are perhaps best appreciated through books and photographs, and through the hope that they will one day welcome visitors again. Their survival over centuries is a testament to the skill of their builders, and their fate in recent years is a reminder of how fragile heritage can be.