DOI Artikel:
Gawlikowski, Michał: Palmyra
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42008#0047
worn, fits well into the second half of the 2nd century, when the whole area
North of the Colonnade was built over, apparently in one bold operation. Asa
matter of fact, the enclosure of the Northern courtyard was founded on bedrock
atthesamedepth, some 2m under the ancient surface, as the foundations of the
hose described above.
While the building belongs incontestably to the class of Roman basilicas,
its precise original purpose remains uncertain. The monument had suffered
serious damage before being taken over and transformed into a church. While the
walls of the hall had survived at least to the restorable level of 4.1 m above
the pavement, and the arch stood intact, the foundations only are left of the
originalapse. Upon them a new apse was built, roughly on the same plan but in a
distinctly shoddy fabric. To the right, a sacristy was installed in a
neighboring room, entered througn a low door just off centre of the apse; right
and left from it, similar openings were blocked already at the time of
construction, so as to form two deep niches. The original pavement in the apse
is missing along the curving wail, where the synthronon should have been.
In front of the apse a platform 8.5m wide is intruding for some 5m into
the hail. It is 0.45m high and was approached by a step from the front, now
missing. In another damaged place, on the left hand side of the platform, it can
be seen that its stones are set on the pavement which stops short under the
outside blocks of the structure. This means that the platform goes back to the
original stage of the building.1t suited well, however, the purpose of the
Christianrefunders, as the advanced part of the choir. A chancel was set around
the platform, 7.3m wide between the side posts; only the sockets remain.
Theaisle, stretching broad in front of it, was provided with benches along
thefourwalls. They are made of reused architraves, cornices, and other stones,
plastered to the pavement and to the walls. On the West side, the bench has
blocked the original door in the SW comer, while in the middle, facing the
apse, a new door was opened. Side passages from the North were blocked and in
the front of the South entrance restored, an irregular pavement being laid on an
43
North of the Colonnade was built over, apparently in one bold operation. Asa
matter of fact, the enclosure of the Northern courtyard was founded on bedrock
atthesamedepth, some 2m under the ancient surface, as the foundations of the
hose described above.
While the building belongs incontestably to the class of Roman basilicas,
its precise original purpose remains uncertain. The monument had suffered
serious damage before being taken over and transformed into a church. While the
walls of the hall had survived at least to the restorable level of 4.1 m above
the pavement, and the arch stood intact, the foundations only are left of the
originalapse. Upon them a new apse was built, roughly on the same plan but in a
distinctly shoddy fabric. To the right, a sacristy was installed in a
neighboring room, entered througn a low door just off centre of the apse; right
and left from it, similar openings were blocked already at the time of
construction, so as to form two deep niches. The original pavement in the apse
is missing along the curving wail, where the synthronon should have been.
In front of the apse a platform 8.5m wide is intruding for some 5m into
the hail. It is 0.45m high and was approached by a step from the front, now
missing. In another damaged place, on the left hand side of the platform, it can
be seen that its stones are set on the pavement which stops short under the
outside blocks of the structure. This means that the platform goes back to the
original stage of the building.1t suited well, however, the purpose of the
Christianrefunders, as the advanced part of the choir. A chancel was set around
the platform, 7.3m wide between the side posts; only the sockets remain.
Theaisle, stretching broad in front of it, was provided with benches along
thefourwalls. They are made of reused architraves, cornices, and other stones,
plastered to the pavement and to the walls. On the West side, the bench has
blocked the original door in the SW comer, while in the middle, facing the
apse, a new door was opened. Side passages from the North were blocked and in
the front of the South entrance restored, an irregular pavement being laid on an
43