Turmanin ( ar, ترمانين) is a town in northern
Syria, administratively part of the
Idlib Governorate, located north of
Idlib. Nearby localities include
al-Dana and
Sarmada
Sarmada ( ar, سرمدا) is a town in the Harem District, Idlib Governorate of Syria.Darat Izza
Darat Izza ( ar, دارة عزة, also spelled Darat Aza or Darit Izza) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Aleppo Governorate, located northwest of Aleppo. Nearby localities include Deir Samaan to the north, Anadan to t ...
to the northeast and
Atarib
Atarib ( ar, أتارب, ʾAtārib), also known as Atharib or Athareb, is a town in western Aleppo countryside, Aleppo Governorate, Syria. Located west of the city of Aleppo and southeast of Reyhanlı in Turkish-administered Hatay Province, i ...
to the south. According to the
Syria Central Bureau of Statistics, Turmanin had a population of 10,394 in the 2004 census.
[General Census of Population and Housing 2004](_blank)
. Syria Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Idlib Governorate.
The town is notable for the ruins of an ancient
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...
in its vicinity. The Basilica, built around 480 AD, was an important influence on later church architecture, and operated as a monastery and a hospice that was noted for its care for the dying. Recently, the town came under the control of the
Syrian National Army.
Climate
In Turmanin, the climate is warm and temperate. In winter there is much more rainfall in Turmanin than in summer.
According to Köppen and Geiger climate is classified as Csa.
The average annual temperature in Turmanin is 16.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 459 mm.
The driest month is July with 0 mm. Most precipitation falls in January, with an average of 90 mm.
The warmest month of the year is August with an average temperature of 27.7 °C. In January, the average temperature is 6.0 °C. It is the lowest average temperature of the whole year.
Deir Turmanin: the Byzantine monastery
The ruins of the Byzantine monastery of Deir Turmanin (''deir'' meaning 'monastery' in Arabic) are located northeast of the modern village. The monastery buildings stood around a paved courtyard containing two cisterns, a sarcophagus and several tombs. The ruins include a building that housed the monks' dormitories, and the large 5th-century basilica. The twin-towered facade of the church had a colonnade above the portal. The towers were three stories high and were roofed with gables.
[Baedeker (1876), p. 555.] The church was probably donated by wealthy patrons. Evidence at the site suggests that the monks were involved in agricultural activity and kept livestock.
See also
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Church of Saint Simeon Stylites
The Church of Saint Simeon Stylites ( ar, كنيسة مار سمعان العمودي , Kanīsat Mār Simʿān el-ʿAmūdī) is one of the oldest surviving church complexes, founded in the 5th century. It is located approximately northwestern of ...
*
Dead Cities
The Dead Cities ( ar, المدن الميتة) or Forgotten Cities ( ar, المدن المنسية) are a group of 700 abandoned settlements in northwest Syria between Aleppo and Idlib. Around 40 villages grouped in eight archaeological parks sit ...
References
Bibliography
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{{Idlib Governorate, Harem
Populated places in Harem District
Towns in Syria
Archaeological sites in Idlib Governorate
Syriac Christianity
Dead Cities