Androna

Archaeological site in Aleppo Governorate, Syria

35°32′00″N 37°21′39″E / 35.533248°N 37.360827°E / 35.533248; 37.360827Site notesExcavation dates1905 – ongoingArchaeologistsH.C. Butler (1905)
R. Mouterde, A. Poidebard (1930)
Marges Arides
Syrian Department of Antiquities director Dr. R. Ugdeh
University of Heidelberg director Prof. C. Strube
University of Oxford director Dr. Marlia Mango^[1]

Androna, also known as al-Andarin (Arabic: الأندرين), is a Byzantine site spread over a vast area at the edges of the semi-desert, about 25 kilometers beyond the more well-known Byzantine site of Qasr Ibn Wardan.^[2]

History

Androna was built as a defense line against nomadic skirmishes in the Syrian Desert. The fortified city contains many churches, palaces and baths;^[3] and was famous for its vineyards and high-quality wine in which it was mentioned by Amr ibn Kulthum in his ode.^[4]

The following is the opening verse of his ode:

أَلاَ هُبِّي بِصَحْنِكِ فَاصْبَحِيْنَـا وَلاَ تُبْقِي خُمُـوْرَ الأَنْدَرِيْنَـا

Ha girl! Up with the bowl! Give us our dawn draught
And do not spare the wines of al-Andarina

References

^ "Androna / Andarin : The Oxford Project". Archived from the original on 2022-07-09. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
^ "al-Andarin".
^ "Androna, Syria – The Byzantine Bath". Archived from the original on 2017-02-18. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
^ "Al-Andareen – A gate into Syrian culture, art and archaeology". Archived from the original on 2017-02-18. Retrieved 2017-02-18.