DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32867#0280
248 ARCHITECTURE OF THE SIXTH CENTURY
Its plan, like that of the tomb at Hass described above, is a Greek cross within a
square; the exterior presents a cubical base surmounted by a hemispherical dome;
the interior is made up of
four deep arches forming
the sides of a square. The
angles between the arches
were all built up to the level
of the crowns of the arches
to form a square, across the
angles of which flat stones
were laid. The interior
edges of these slabs were
then cut to form a circle tan-
gent to the sides of the
square, and upon this the
dome was set; not built in
corbeled fashion, but con-
structed upon the principle
of the arch, each stone being wedge-shaped and carved to concave form on the interior
and convex form on the outside. No attempt was made to employ pendentives for
the support of the dome, and no outside roof was necessary to protect it. The whole
structure depends for its solidity and lightness upon the most perfect stone-cutting, for
no mortar and no clamps were used. As in the substructure of the Diogenes tomb at
ITass (see page 160), the four arches fulfilled the office of arcosolia on the interior, and
all but that which was occupied by the en-
trance embraced sarcophagi. Over each
sarcophagus was a small oculus. The ex-
terior is provided with a deep base molding
of excellent profile ; the angles are adorned
with pilasters which have free uncut Corin-
thian caps, but no bases ; the shaft portion is
ornamented with a long panel, semicircular
at the bottom and terminating at the astragal
below the cap. The oculi have very shallow
incised moldings. The top of the wall is
finished off with the usual cyma recta. M.de
Vogiie’s plate shows an elaborate porch in
the form of a semicircular pediment, embra-
cing a conch and supported upon two colonnettes with well-carved Corinthian capi-
tals ; but only fragments of the pediment and the capitals remain in situ.
Medieval Mohammedan weli near il-Fu‘ah.
Tomb of Bizzos at Ruweha, from the southeast.
Its plan, like that of the tomb at Hass described above, is a Greek cross within a
square; the exterior presents a cubical base surmounted by a hemispherical dome;
the interior is made up of
four deep arches forming
the sides of a square. The
angles between the arches
were all built up to the level
of the crowns of the arches
to form a square, across the
angles of which flat stones
were laid. The interior
edges of these slabs were
then cut to form a circle tan-
gent to the sides of the
square, and upon this the
dome was set; not built in
corbeled fashion, but con-
structed upon the principle
of the arch, each stone being wedge-shaped and carved to concave form on the interior
and convex form on the outside. No attempt was made to employ pendentives for
the support of the dome, and no outside roof was necessary to protect it. The whole
structure depends for its solidity and lightness upon the most perfect stone-cutting, for
no mortar and no clamps were used. As in the substructure of the Diogenes tomb at
ITass (see page 160), the four arches fulfilled the office of arcosolia on the interior, and
all but that which was occupied by the en-
trance embraced sarcophagi. Over each
sarcophagus was a small oculus. The ex-
terior is provided with a deep base molding
of excellent profile ; the angles are adorned
with pilasters which have free uncut Corin-
thian caps, but no bases ; the shaft portion is
ornamented with a long panel, semicircular
at the bottom and terminating at the astragal
below the cap. The oculi have very shallow
incised moldings. The top of the wall is
finished off with the usual cyma recta. M.de
Vogiie’s plate shows an elaborate porch in
the form of a semicircular pediment, embra-
cing a conch and supported upon two colonnettes with well-carved Corinthian capi-
tals ; but only fragments of the pediment and the capitals remain in situ.
Medieval Mohammedan weli near il-Fu‘ah.
Tomb of Bizzos at Ruweha, from the southeast.