Idlib

Wide olive plains and Byzantine stone villages abandoned for centuries.

Status today

Updated weekly by our Idlib correspondent.

Every line carries who checked it and when

ElectricityNationwide: in August 2026 the Ministry of Energy said supply rose from about 8 to 20+ hours a day in some areas. Hours vary by city and neighbourhood; many hotels use generators or solar.Checked by: فريق التحرير (من مصدر منشور) · SourceLast updated: 21 October 2026

InternetMobile internet runs on the Syriatel and MTN networks, with 4G in cities. Speed and coverage vary outside cities. Plans and prices change; ask at an operator service centre.Checked by: فريق التحرير (من مصدر منشور) · SourceLast updated: 21 October 2026

RoadsPer the General Authority for Ports and Customs (Aug 2026), the main crossings with Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey are operating. We have not yet field-checked roads inside this province; check official announcements before travelling.Checked by: فريق التحرير (من مصدر منشور) · SourceLast updated: 21 October 2026

WeatherForecast for 2026-10-21: partly cloudy, high 26, low 17 degrees C. Rain chance 3%.Checked by: المدير · SourceLast updated: 21 October 2026

EventsSANA publishes a daily 'cultural agenda' listing events at cultural centres, theatres and galleries across the provinces.Checked by: فريق التحرير (من مصدر منشور) · SourceLast updated: 21 October 2026

Every line carries who checked it and when. We don't make safety claims, only dated facts with a link to the official source.

Idlib’s architecture

The Dead Cities

Byzantine limestone villages with round arches, their walls still standing after centuries among the olive groves.

This page’s pattern and the arch of its photo frames come from this style.

Sights

7 places

Serjilla

A Byzantine stone village with its bathhouse and homes still standing.

Al-Bara

Small stone pyramid tombs among the olive groves.

Ebla (Tell Mardikh)

A third-millennium BC city famous for its clay archive.

Harim Castle

A castle on a mound above the town near the border.

Ebla

An ancient kingdom at Tell Mardikh in rural Idlib, famous for its archive of cuneiform tablets.

Ruweiha

A Byzantine site in Jebel Zawiya with a large church and tombs.

Deir Seta

A Byzantine Dead City site in rural Idlib, with churches and stone houses.

From the people of Idlib

Secrets, jokes and proverbs

Told and signed by people of the city, in Arabic only. Read them on the Arabic page.

Restaurants and cafes

Visited and written up by our Idlib correspondent.

What to eat here: New-season olive oil, cured olives, and tannour bread.A first list compiled on 24 October 2026 from published guides (Wikivoyage, TripAdvisor) and Google Maps. Check opening hours before you go; our correspondent updates it after visiting.

Restaurant