Yabroud

Overview

Yabroud stands at 1,400 m on the Qalamoun plateau north of Damascus, an old Christian and Muslim town whose cathedral is literally built inside a Roman temple. Prehistoric rock shelters in the cliffs nearby gave their name to an entire Palaeolithic culture.

History

The Yabrudian industry — a distinct Middle Palaeolithic stone-tool tradition — was first identified in caves here in the 1930s, evidencing occupation over 200,000 years ago. In the Roman period a temple of Zeus Yabrudis stood on the town's high point; in the 4th century it was converted into the Cathedral of Constantine and Helen, whose nave still rests on the temple's columns.

Highlights

• 01Cathedral of Constantine and Helen
• 02Roman temple columns inside the church
• 03Yabrudian prehistoric caves
• 04Rock-cut necropolis
• 05Qalamoun plateau scenery

Major Attractions

• 01

  Cathedral of Constantine and Helen

  One of Syria's most striking adaptive reuses — Roman temple columns carry the aisles of a working church, with an icon collection and a crypt beneath.

• 02

  Yabrudian caves

  Rock shelters in the surrounding cliffs that defined the Yabrudian Palaeolithic industry; the setting is more evocative than the visible remains.

• 03

  Rock-cut necropolis

  Chambered tombs cut into the escarpment above the town, Roman and Byzantine in date.

• 04

  Old town quarter

  Stone lanes, an Ottoman mosque and the traditional market around the cathedral hill.

Traveller Tips

• ›The cathedral keeps limited hours — ask at the parish office next door if the doors are shut.
• ›Yabroud sits just off the Damascus–Homs highway, making it an easy stop en route north.
• ›Pair with Nabk and Deir Mar Musa for a full Qalamoun day.

What to Eat

• Qalamoun apricots

  Sun-dried on rooftops each July and pressed into sheets of qamar al-din.

• Kibbeh Yabroudiyeh

  Local variations on baked kibbeh with pine nuts, served at family celebrations.

• Aniseed bread

  Sweet ring bread flavoured with anise and sesame, baked for feast days.

Other local flavours: Plateau apricots · Kibbeh · Local arak · Aniseed bread

Where to Stay

• Simple town hotels

  Budget

  A couple of basic hotels serve travellers on the highway; most visitors continue to Damascus or Homs.

• Deir Mar Musa

  Monastery stay

  The monastery near Nabk accepts guests on a donation basis — a memorable overnight in the Qalamoun.