The church was founded in the 5th century around the column of Simeon Stylites, who died in 459. The infobox gives consecration in 475, the introduction gives completion in 490, and the text says pilgrim traffic made it necessary in 473. The article names no builder or patron.
Four basilicas radiate from a central octagon, topped by a dome with the column at its center. The eastern basilica is noticeably larger, and the monastic church covers over 53,800 square feet (5,000 m²). A processional road, the Via Sacra, links a monumental arch to an octagonal baptistery.
Simeon's column was raised from about 10 feet (3 m) to about 59 feet (18 m) in his lifetime, and a pillar of about 6.5 feet (2 m) survives. A Russian air strike in May 2016 damaged the remains. It is part of the UNESCO site Ancient Villages of Northern Syria.
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