Ancient Bab al-Hawa (Gate of the Winds) (or Bab al-Hawa Archaeological Site)

Bab al-Hawa: A Gateway Between Civilization
Bab al-Hawa has long served as a historic gateway connecting Anatolia with the plains of Idlib. The current stone arch was erected in the 6th century AD atop an older Roman road, once part of the ancient trade network known as the Via Maris.

Behind the arch stand four columns from a 4th-century church—considered the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity spreading through this corridor.

In 2005, a German archaeological mission discovered Greek inscriptions on the architrave of the gateway, praising Emperor Anastasius as the restorer of the road.

Despite the heavy modern commercial traffic, the monument has endured, thanks to the efforts of the Idlib Antiquities Directorate, which regularly replaces eroded stones with matching limestone to preserve its original character.