DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32867#0431
ROMAN PERIOD
399
dwellings. The fact that these mud
houses are incorporated with the ruins on
all sides makes it very difficult to study
the ruin; in fact, no idea of the extent
or plan of the building could be obtained
without clearing away numbers of the
houses. But the bases of the columns
themselves being on a level with the
roofs of the houses would seem to prove
that the temple, if such it was.stood upon
a high podium. The columns are appar-
ently those of the northwestern angle of
the building, — the corner column and
one adjoining it on either flank, —which
indicates that the temple was of perip-
teral plan ; but the direction of the major
axis cannot be determined now. The
intercolumniation on the east is a little
wider than the other. The columns
themselves are finely executed in the
black basalt, and are of the Roman Ionic
order, with plain shafts showing consid-
erable entasis, and having well-turned
bases and beautifully carved capitals. Coluinns at Harran il-‘Awamid, from the northwest.
The town abounds in fragments of architectural ornament of high order ; these con-
sist chiefly of sections of frieze in rich foliate designs well executed. The rinceaux
of the friezes are of somewhat different pattern from those found in the architecture
of the Djebel Hauran. The designs are all based upon the acanthus, but are rather
more boldly drawn and are wrought in more massive style, a little coarser, perhaps,
than that of most of the examples already
described. The great attenuation of the
shafts, and the peculiar treatment of the
Ionic order, give evidence of a compara-
tively late date. This form of Ionic was
largely used farther south in the colon-
nades of Philippopolis, which are unques-
tionably to be assigned to the reign of
Philip the Arab. It is therefore quite
probable that the temple of Ilarran il-
Fragment of a frieze at Harran il-‘Awamid. 1 Awamid belongS tO the Same period.
399
dwellings. The fact that these mud
houses are incorporated with the ruins on
all sides makes it very difficult to study
the ruin; in fact, no idea of the extent
or plan of the building could be obtained
without clearing away numbers of the
houses. But the bases of the columns
themselves being on a level with the
roofs of the houses would seem to prove
that the temple, if such it was.stood upon
a high podium. The columns are appar-
ently those of the northwestern angle of
the building, — the corner column and
one adjoining it on either flank, —which
indicates that the temple was of perip-
teral plan ; but the direction of the major
axis cannot be determined now. The
intercolumniation on the east is a little
wider than the other. The columns
themselves are finely executed in the
black basalt, and are of the Roman Ionic
order, with plain shafts showing consid-
erable entasis, and having well-turned
bases and beautifully carved capitals. Coluinns at Harran il-‘Awamid, from the northwest.
The town abounds in fragments of architectural ornament of high order ; these con-
sist chiefly of sections of frieze in rich foliate designs well executed. The rinceaux
of the friezes are of somewhat different pattern from those found in the architecture
of the Djebel Hauran. The designs are all based upon the acanthus, but are rather
more boldly drawn and are wrought in more massive style, a little coarser, perhaps,
than that of most of the examples already
described. The great attenuation of the
shafts, and the peculiar treatment of the
Ionic order, give evidence of a compara-
tively late date. This form of Ionic was
largely used farther south in the colon-
nades of Philippopolis, which are unques-
tionably to be assigned to the reign of
Philip the Arab. It is therefore quite
probable that the temple of Ilarran il-
Fragment of a frieze at Harran il-‘Awamid. 1 Awamid belongS tO the Same period.