Images The basilica of Saint Simeon

The structure of the religious complex of Saint Simeon is quite articulated. Passing through the arches, the pilgrims went from the pre-courtyard – where they met at the liturgical esplanade – to the entrance of the holy place, with the baptistery on their right and the main entrance of the church in front. Four basilicas, arranged in the shape of a cross, opened into an octagon covered by a dome, in the center of which stood the holy column. The east branch of the basilica, slightly larger than the others, was the most important one. The whole complex was called the “martyrium”. Adjacent to the south wall of the eastern basilica there were a chapel and a monastery. The whole complex represented a vast space of pilgrimage, probably one of the most comprehensive in the region together with Saint John in Ephesus and Aboumena in Egypt.