NATURAL CAVES AND POPULAR SACRED SITES IN THE SYRIAN COASTAL COUNTRYSIDE

This study looks at the popularity of natural caves in the countryside near the Syrian coast. It looks at three sites near Jableh and Baniyas in the Roman and Byzantine eras and how these caves have been remembered by locals. The study looks at how some natural caves have been made into religious shrines linked to the Virgin Mary and the seeking of blessings, pilgrimage, and popular celebration. This has happened even though there is no official religious architecture or traditional archaeological evidence linked to official religious institutions. The study also compares these cases with another natural cave that has not become a place of religious or symbolic importance. This is to try to understand what makes a place sacred in the countryside. The study uses field observation and local stories, while also looking at ways to study popular religion and holy places in the Eastern Mediterranean. The results show that the change of a natural cave into a sacred space is not just linked to the site's geographical nature. It is also shaped by the interaction between local stories, ritual practice, and collective memory. The study also shows how important informal spaces are for understanding the religious and social history of the Syrian coast. It also shows that traditional archaeological methods need to be changed to include sites that are important in popular culture, not just sites with physical evidence.