Qanawat

Qanawat, ancient Canatha of the Decapolis, spreads its ruins through a green ravine and a living Druze town: a helios temple by the road, a second temple deep in the gorge among orchards, and the seraya - a Roman civic complex converted into a great fifth-century church, its carved doors and colonnades still standing. Springs and walnut trees soften the black basalt. It is the most atmospheric of the Jebel al-Arab's ancient towns. The town sits at over twelve hundred metres, and its springs made it a place of consequence long before Rome.

What you actually see

• The seraya - the Roman-to-Byzantine complex with carved portals.
• The ravine temple - the shrine among the orchards below.
• The helios temple - columns above the road into town.
• The green gorge - springs and walnuts through the basalt.

When to go

March to May and September to November are mild and green. Spring water in the ravine is the best season. Summer afternoons are hot on the stone.

Honest expectations

Paths through the ravine are rough and informal. Interpretation is absent - a guide or good reading helps. Access should be checked locally.

Nearby

Suwayda is below, and Shahba is north.