Over 700 so-called Dead Cities dot the barren, unforgiving limestone hills of northern Syria. These settlements flourished under the Byzantine Empire of the 4th century and given theire number this area must have been a sight to see.

Records show that they were first studied in 1863 by the Frenchman Charles-Jean-Melchoir, Count de Vogüé, and later, in 1899-1900, by the Princeton professor Howard Crosby Butler. Studies showed that evidence of livestock breeding and the growing of cereal crops were an important part of the economy, shattering the previous idea that the villages had depended exclusively on olive oil.

From the late 3rd century the towns expanded, reaching their peak in the late 5th century before decline set in around 550. It is estimated that as many as 300,000 people lived in these villages and towns however Sassanian invasions, epidemics of bubonic plague, drought, and famine heralded their demise, with only a few occupied through to the 8th century.

Today they are eerie and yet compelling, with houses and churches open to the elements and in varying states of disrepair. Modern villages lie side by side with the old ones and a visit is a great way of meeting local people as much as for seeing the ruins themselves.