Syria Reopens Saint Simeon Monastery Near Aleppo After Decade of War Closure

Key facts

• The Monastery of Saint Simeon the Stylite (Qaalat Samaan) near Aleppo reopened to the public on 28 September, World Tourism Day, after more than a decade of closure due to the civil war.
• Only a first phase of restoration is complete; debris was cleared, a visitor route created, and administrative spaces secured.
• The Column of Saint Simeon, destroyed in an airstrike attributed to Russia on 12 May 2016, has been reinstalled.
• Built in the 5th century, the site includes a church, monastery, baptistery, processional way and tomb, and was used as a military fortress in the 10th century.
• The site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011 as part of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria and placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2013; UNESCO confirmed its continued listing in 2025.
• Damage came from bombardments, use by armed groups and clandestine excavations, worsened by the earthquake of 6 February 2023.
• The reopening is tied to the Aleppo archaeological and tourist site rehabilitation campaign of the government of Ahmed al-Charaa, transitional president since January 2025.
• Syria's national heritage strategy covers 2025-2035 and includes restoration, documentation, recovery of looted antiquities and cultural tourism; in July 2026 agreements were signed for Aleppo and Tartous.