Sergila ..A Distinguished Ancient Syrian Village Sample

 

Sergila archeological village lies next to al-Bara village on al-Zawia Mountain in Idleb Province, about 330 km from Damascus. It is one of a group of archaeological nearby villages that are preserved in a good state. These villages give a true image of the countryside in the Northern part of Syria between the Byzantine and the Roman periods. Sergila has got various buildings, houses, churches, bathrooms and olive squeezers.
Secretary of Idleb Museum Fajer Haj Mohammd said the building style in the village consists of three main parts: the inhabitance part, the work part and the yard which is surrounded by a fence, adding that all the houses in the village consist of two stories.
Haj Mohammed pointed out that the houses have a functional role as the ground floor is used as storehouses, stables and olive squeezers, while the upper floor is dedicated for inhabitance.
He indicated that the oldest house in the village dates back to the end of the 2nd century A.D. as the poor farmers cultivated the lands surrounding the village and adopted the 'self-sufficient economy' through mixing farming with breeding livestock, in addition to oil industry.
Head of the Archeological Studies and Excavation Section at Idleb Antiquities Department Anas Haj Zeidan said Churches are one of the most important characteristics of Sergila as each the complex of churches consists of two Basilica churches with a yard.
He pointed out that the Northern Church dates back to the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century, while the Southern Church is a small basilica Church which was turned into a mosque after the Islamic conquest.
For his part, Head of Idleb Antiquities Department Nicola Kabbad said the only bathroom in the village was built in 473 A.D. and consists of a big hall in the north and small halls in the south in addition to a big store engraved in the stone.
Historian Fayez Qweasrah said the importance of studying Sergila village is that it highlights the status of the Syrian countryside during the Roman and Byzantine periods, as the studies showed that the Syrian countryside was inhabited by active farmers who speak Syriac language and know Greek language.
Statistics of Tourism Department at Idleb Province show that Sergila is considered as one of the most important tourist and archeological sites in Idleb because it attracts the largest number of the Arab and foreign tourists as well as local visitors.
The statistics showed that more than 14,000 Arab and Foreign tourist visit Sergila each year.