Ruweiha, a Dead City in Idlib

Ruweiha is one of the largest of the Dead Cities and the one on Jabal al-Zawiya whose plan reads most clearly. Its busiest period was the 5th century and the 6th century; the olive oil trade made it rich, and it emptied when the trade routes shifted. The lines of the streets, the walls of the houses and two churches are still standing.

Getting there

24 kilometres from Maarat al-Numan by car, about half an hour. The ruin sits on a plateau and is not a signposted site, so the driver has to know where it is. There is no public transport.

How long it takes

An hour and a half. It fits into the same day as al-Bara and Serjilla; all three are on the same ridge of Jabal al-Zawiya.

What to see

The Bissos church is one of the largest in the region: a basilica plan, its side walls largely fallen, but the main arch still standing and visible from a distance. A second basilica lies to the north. Beyond them are mansions, tomb chambers with burial niches, and a two-storey building in the middle of the settlement thought to have been a market or exchange. All of it is local limestone, and there are traces of Roman occupation too.

What most people miss

The tomb of Bissos stands north of the ruin, apart from the rest of the buildings, with stone carving and burial niches. Most visitors see the church and turn back without ever reaching it.

Safety

In February 2026 engineering teams cleared mines and war debris from the site at the request of the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums. That clearance covers the archaeological area; the risk of unexploded ordnance continues in the countryside around Jabal al-Zawiya. Stay on the cleared path and keep out of fields and rubble.