Camel Ride to the Monastery of St. Simeon

In the afternoon we take a motorboat to the West Bank at the foot of the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan. While the Mausoleum is closed until further notice, camel-drivers make a camp at the bank and will take you for a ride to the so-called Monastery of St. Simeon. Originally built as the monastery of a local saint - Apa Aaron - in the 7th Century, the complex was continually inhabited and expanded until it was closed in 1173. This is a magnificent medieval complex and the afternoon swiftly passes as you try to identify the different rooms.

St Simeon's Monastery