The wonders around Aleppo

al2, originally uploaded by natalieben.

This isn't usually a photo blog, but having stirred up memories of Syria I thought I'd share a few more pics, since there's not a lot else around about the wonderful area.

The photo on the left here is the Roman tomb, standing out in the middle of apparently nowhere, of Aemilius Reginus (the inscription is still clearly legible). The pillars stand beside a simple cave entered by steps.

I've only found one web reference to the name, here, in, I think, Arabic. (WHOOPS: update, just realised that this is Hebrew!) Found through this Google search. Anyone know what it says?

The picture beside it is one of the wonderful Christian pyramid tombs at al-Bara. My diary notes that this one was about 10m square, and contained a very solid undamaged sarcophagus. My textual guide, Warwick Ball (Syria: A Historical and Architectural Guide, the best book that I found) says these are 4th to 6th century AD. I've never seen anything like them anywhere else in the world. Has anyone?

A little more on Al-Bara.