INCIDENT REPORT FEATURE: DEIR SUNBUL (DER SAMBIL) VILLAGE
U. S. DEPT. COOPERATION AGREEMENT NUMBER: S-IZ-100-17-CA021
Video footage shows a gunman destroying the remains of Deir Sunbul.
* This report is based on research conducted by the “Safeguarding the Heritage of the Near East Initiative,” funded by the US Department of State. Monthly reports reflect reporting from a variety of sources and may contain unverified material. As such, they should be treated as preliminary and subject to change.
One of The Dead Cities in Idlib (Getty Images)
Deir Sunbul is one of the Byzantine-era “Dead Cities” located on the Jebel Zawiya, which contains dozens of ruins dating to the 4th–8th century CE. Other Dead City sites in the area include Serjilla, Dalloza, Kokaba, Baude, and Sinsharah, all within 10 kilometers of Deir Sunbul. The ruins at Deir Sunbul are scattered among modern houses, and include several villas, dozens of tombs, and a badly ruined church. Many of these structures bear inscriptions, usually of a Christian nature. The few dated inscriptions at Deir Sunbul are from the early 5th century [1].
The two-storied villa in question was described by archaeologist Howard Butler Crosby in 1900 as “the most beautiful of all the residences in the region. [2]” He writes, “The composition of the facade of this house—its pleasing proportions, its large and richly ornamented openings, symmetrically grouped—makes it an imposing and beautiful monument even without its colonnade. [3]” This villa bears no dated inscription, but its style suggests it was built in the 5th or 6th century [4].
A view of the rear of villa from the southwest (Howard Butler Crosby, ca. 1900)
A view of the front courtyard of the villa, from the northeast (Howard Butler Crosby, ca. 1900)
A view of the rear of the villa, from the west (Howard Butler Crosby, ca. 1900)
A view of the front courtyard of the villa, from the east (Howard Butler Crosby, ca. 1900)
A modern view of the villa from the southwest (Syria Winks/ November 17, 2009)
A modern view of villa from the west (Syria Winks/ November 17, 2009)
Video still showing damage to the eastern wall of the villa, seen from the southeast (Freedom Aleppo; December 30, 2011
FSA flags on the exterior western wall of villa and damage to the top of the gable on the southern facade (Le Patrimoine Archéologique Syrien en Danger; April 27, 2012)
The villa prior to any significant structural damage, shown within the red box (DigitalGlobe NextView License; September 10, 2014)
Severe damage to the northern part of villa indicated by red arrows (DigitalGlobe NextView License; February 21, 2017)
View of villa from the northwest showing collapse of northern section (SANA; undated, between September 10, 2014 and April 16, 2015)
Video stills showing an unidentified gunman (right) firing at the remains of the villa (Idlib Antiquities Center; October 4, 2017)
Video stills showing the collapse of the villa (Idlib Antiquities Center; October 4, 2017)
