Maarat Al Numan
One of the main towns in the governorate of Idlib is the town of Maarat Al Numan. This town is quite interesting for its Islamic historical sites including, the Great Mosque, Al Madrassa Al Nourieh, Maarat Castle, the former hospice Khan Murad Basha, and the tombs of the Caliph Omar bin Abdul Azziz, and the poet Abu Alaa Al Maari. Another main feature of this town is the museum. Converted from a beautiful Arab monument, which was built as an Ottoman khan in 1563, this museum houses many artifacts including a fantastic collection of Roman and Byzantine mosaics.

Ariha
Located on the slopes of Arbaeen Mountain, 12 Km from Idlib is the town of Ariha. This town is famous for its delicious cherries and is often used as a summer resort for the northern locals.

Harem
The town of Harem is situated at 55 km north of Aleppo, and is famous for its beautiful nature and countryside. There is an abundance of water and trees here, and even some small waterfalls. Also found in Harem is an important Arab Islamic castle which has been built in a unique military style. 

This city, located on the Turkish border used to be on the route between Antioch and Aleppo, and has been around since the Byzantine era. The castle was originally Byzantine and was built by Nicephorus shortly after 959, it then fell to the Arabs and then to the Seljuk Turks. In 1097 it was taken by the Crusaders who kept it till 1119, except for a short time in 1098 when it was taken by the Muslim Arabs.

It fell to Nur Al Din in 1149, then taken back by the Crusaders in 1158 and back again by Nur Al Din in 1164. When the Mongols invaded in the 13th century, much of Harem was destroyed including its castle. What is left of the castle dates back to the Muslim - Crusader battles between 1164 and 1268. The crusader castle was rebuilt by the son of Saladin, Malik Al Zaher Ghazi.