Cyrrhus

Cyrrhus, called Nebi Huri locally, was founded by Seleucus I and became a Roman frontier city, and its remains are scattered across quiet hill country: a large theatre, walls and gates, a hexagonal tower tomb that later became the shrine of a Muslim saint, and, on the approach roads, two Roman bridges that still carry traffic across the streams. The site is green in spring and almost always empty. The theologian Theodoret was its bishop in the fifth century, and its ruins have been excavated by French and later Lebanese and Syrian teams.

What to look for

• The theatre - the excavated cavea on the hillside.
• The Roman bridges - two ancient spans still in daily use.
• The tower tomb - the hexagonal mausoleum turned shrine.
• The hill country - the quiet borderland setting.

When to go

March to May and October to November are mild, with spring the greenest. Summer is hot. The bridges are best photographed with water under them.

Things to know

The area is remote and access arrangements change; local checking is essential. There are no facilities. Excavated areas are uneven and unfenced.

Nearby

Azaz is south, and Ain Dara is southwest.

Key facts