'Nest of Eagles';[1][2] Latin: Chalcis ad Belum;[3] Ancient Greek: Χαλκὶς, romanized: Khalkìs), was a historical town in northern Syria.

[8] The city was a Christian bishopric from an early stage, at first a suffragan of Seleucia Pieria, but later raised to the dignity of autocephalous archdiocese.

[9] The names of several of its bishops are known, from that of 3rd-century Tranquillus to that of Probus, who lived at the end of the 6th century and whom Emperor Mauritius Tiberius sent as his envoy to the Persian king Chosroes I.

Its importance was due to its strategic location, both as a caravan stop and as part of the frontier zone (limes) with the desert.

[14] They utilized the city as an important army headquarters, though until the mid-10th century there were no recorded events of significance relating to Qinnasrin.

[13] Toward the end of the 11th century, Qinnasrin was rebuilt by the Seljuq ruler of Anatolia Sulayman ibn Qutulmish.

In 1119, the Artuqid emir Ilghazi made it into an arms depot from which he raided the surrounding areas of Ruj, Jabal Summaq and Harim.