DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32867#0026
XXII
PREFACE
known for a longer time, and a greater number of scholars have made them the sub-
ject of research. A number of monuments in this region were published at least
as early as 1837, by Count Leon de Laborde in his “ Voyage de la Syrie,” and M. E.
Guillaume Rey, in 1860, published several plans and drawings of buildings of the
Hauran in his “ Voyage dans le Haouran.” A fuller account of this architecture was
given by M. de Vogiie in the volume mentioned above, and the plans, elevations, sec-
tions, and details, drawn to scale, which appeared in the twenty-three plates of “ La
Syrie Centrale ” devoted to this locality, were the first scientific and serviceable study
of the subject to be made. Prior to 1866, the date when the last publication first
appeared, a number of scholars, Burkhardt, Seetzen, and Wetstein, had published, in
connection with their publication of inscriptions, notes of greater or less importance to
the study of architecture, and the descriptions of Porter had been widely read. Since
that date, the notes and photographs of M. Rene Uussaud and of Baron von Oppen-
heim have added their quota to the fund of archaeological knowledge; but there were
and are still numerous sites in the Hauran where there are unpublished buildings of
importance to the history of architecture.
It was the plan of this American expedition, so far as the study of architecture was
concerned, first, to visit all of the sites reached by M. de Vogiie, to verify the mea-
surements of monuments already published and to take photographs of all such monu-
ments; second, to study the unpublished monuments at the same sites for publication ;
and, third, to extend the search for ruins into unexplored territory and to determine, as
far as possible, the geographical limits of the region that produced the particular styles
of architecture known to exist in this section. In Northern Central Syria this plan
was quite thoroughly carried out. All of the sites visited by M. de Vogiie were reached,
published and unpublished monuments in them were measured and photographed, and
the search in unexplored territory was rewarded by the discovery of many sites with
important architectural remains. In the Djebel Hauran the lateness of the season
forbade a complete execution of the plan. All of the sites of monuments published by
MM. de Laborde and Rey were visited, and all except three of those containing build-
ings published by M. de Vogiie were reached and studied, and, in many of these,
unpublished monuments were measured and photographed. No unknown sites were
discovered, but several unpublished monuments were found in places known to
explorers. These are described in this publication.
PREFACE
known for a longer time, and a greater number of scholars have made them the sub-
ject of research. A number of monuments in this region were published at least
as early as 1837, by Count Leon de Laborde in his “ Voyage de la Syrie,” and M. E.
Guillaume Rey, in 1860, published several plans and drawings of buildings of the
Hauran in his “ Voyage dans le Haouran.” A fuller account of this architecture was
given by M. de Vogiie in the volume mentioned above, and the plans, elevations, sec-
tions, and details, drawn to scale, which appeared in the twenty-three plates of “ La
Syrie Centrale ” devoted to this locality, were the first scientific and serviceable study
of the subject to be made. Prior to 1866, the date when the last publication first
appeared, a number of scholars, Burkhardt, Seetzen, and Wetstein, had published, in
connection with their publication of inscriptions, notes of greater or less importance to
the study of architecture, and the descriptions of Porter had been widely read. Since
that date, the notes and photographs of M. Rene Uussaud and of Baron von Oppen-
heim have added their quota to the fund of archaeological knowledge; but there were
and are still numerous sites in the Hauran where there are unpublished buildings of
importance to the history of architecture.
It was the plan of this American expedition, so far as the study of architecture was
concerned, first, to visit all of the sites reached by M. de Vogiie, to verify the mea-
surements of monuments already published and to take photographs of all such monu-
ments; second, to study the unpublished monuments at the same sites for publication ;
and, third, to extend the search for ruins into unexplored territory and to determine, as
far as possible, the geographical limits of the region that produced the particular styles
of architecture known to exist in this section. In Northern Central Syria this plan
was quite thoroughly carried out. All of the sites visited by M. de Vogiie were reached,
published and unpublished monuments in them were measured and photographed, and
the search in unexplored territory was rewarded by the discovery of many sites with
important architectural remains. In the Djebel Hauran the lateness of the season
forbade a complete execution of the plan. All of the sites of monuments published by
MM. de Laborde and Rey were visited, and all except three of those containing build-
ings published by M. de Vogiie were reached and studied, and, in many of these,
unpublished monuments were measured and photographed. No unknown sites were
discovered, but several unpublished monuments were found in places known to
explorers. These are described in this publication.