Fafertin Byzantine Church

“Fafertin is a small village that was located on the side of the old road that connected Simeon castle to Aleppo, Most of the monuments have been demolished, the remains have been inhabited, and only the eastern apse of the church remains in the courtyard of the inhabited village. It appears that It did not have windows to illuminate the structure from the east. Upon reflection of its layout, it appears that it was a basilica-type church with three halls, the two rooms on either side of the apse opened onto the side aisles through two doors, in the southern room was a beautifully decorated basin to keep the relics of martyrs or saints. The foyer consisted of seven arches or columns, the remains of the two southern doors are still standing, the lintel of the eastern door on the southern façade bore an inscription dated 372 A.D. The text reads : (Straight is the path of life in the days of Antiochus the Bishop and Maris the Bardot). One God and his Christ who gives help in the year 420 in the month of Lus ((( corresponding to August 372 AD ))). Measuring 26.50 meters long and 11.60 meters wide, the church of Fafertin is one of the oldest basilica churches in Syria and one of the oldest in the world. The capitals of Its columns were periodic and Tuscan in style, unfortunately nothing remains around the church. To the south of the church, there is a beautifully decorated limestone lintel at a lower level. It is known that the village of Fafertin is located at an altitude of 567 meters above sea level.”