The Dead Cities

The limestone massif where the Dead Cities stand is a strange and fascinating place: rolling hills, lots of brownish grey rocks everywhere and, in between, plots of land with carefully cultivated dark brown soil. This place, full of history, belongs to the region of Antioch, city which was the geographic, economic and religious centre of the area in the Byzantine era (4th – 7th century A.D.). In spring, this place has a special beauty, the land has been ploughed and looks almost black, flowers are blooming everywhere, the sky is clear blue, the horizon is far away. The roads are narrow and winding, but with very little traffic, so the journey is easy. And, suddenly, a Dead City appears around a curve… This network of Byzantine villages also called “Dead Cities” is actually one of the most extraordinary archaeological site in the world: no less than 700 villages or cities scattered over a land of about 100 kilometres by 20. About 60 of these “Dead Cities” still look like real villages: only the population is missing.