Ain Dara

The temple of Ain Dara, on a mound above the Afrin river, was one of the finest Iron Age buildings in the Levant: black basalt walls carved with lions and sphinxes, and, most famously, a pair of metre-long footprints cut into the threshold, as if a deity had stepped into the shrine. Its parallels to descriptions of Solomon's temple made it internationally known. The temple was largely destroyed in 2018 and many carvings were shattered.

The main sights

• The temple platform - the basalt terrace above the valley.
• The surviving carvings - lions and sphinxes among the recovered blocks.
• The footprints - the carved threshold prints, damaged but legendary.
• The Afrin valley - the green river country below the mound.

When to go

March to May and October to November are mild. Spring is green in the valley. Summer is hot.

Good to know

Most of what made the temple famous was destroyed in 2018; what a visit offers now is the site, fragments and the beginnings of restoration. Access arrangements change and need local checking. Manage expectations accordingly.

Nearby

Afrin is north, and Cyrrhus is northeast.

Key facts