Syria

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Even as he was alive, Simon's pecular form of piety attracted thousands of pilgrims, and small statues were sold...

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Especially Arabs, beduins from Syrian desert gathered to him and so spread Christianity among them.
As he died, a giant church, the biggest of this time, was built there

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Here's a view.

Anyway, An octagonal square encircled the pillar, a church and pilgrim houses were built around, in a shape of cross.

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but Islam came...

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the church was fortified, as is known as qal'a, a citadel, up to today

Here's a capitel. It looks as if the leaves were moved by the wind, doesn't it.

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Anyway, after a couple of centuries the place was abandoned.

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I always wanted to visit this place.

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Here's Umayyads' mosque in Damascus again, one of the minarets.

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from another side...

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another minaret

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and here's damascean moulin rouge - it's the name of it, a translation.
Kazino = a place with not quite properly dressed ladies...

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That's part of Damascean Citadel and entrance to Hamidiyya suq

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inside...

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here's the dome of Baybar's tomb

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the tomb itself...