Caves in Damascus countryside…A story of civilization narrated by rocks

Damascus countryside, Caves that are widespread in Damascus countryside, especially in the Qalamoun region,document multiple historical eras,in addition that they played an essential role in the history of civilization, and they were home for ancient man and a safe shelter for animals in other eras. Director of Antiquities of the Damascus Countryside, Jihad Abu Kahla told SANA that studies and research by archaeologists have proven that the caves contained all the elements of life, including water and food, indicating that in more recent eras man was able to develop his tools and adapt his environment to what suits him, so he built houses and abandoned the caves to become only cemeteries for humans in classical times, as in Maaloula, Yabrud, and Ain al-Sahib in Aleppo and Souq, Wadi Barada and Jabadin. Abu Kahla added that some of the caves became, in the Byzantine era, a place of worship as the Cave of Saint Thecla in Maaloula and the Cave of Saydnaya. For his part, Marai El-Baradei, a researcher in the h eritage, historical and cultural affairs of Yabrud, said that most of the Yabrud caves are natural and have wide doors and are not of great depth, explained that they appeared after the water receded from this area, which had been submerged for more than a million years ago. Currently they have become important tourist attractions and historical sites for research and documentation. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency