Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (16.2004(2005))

KAFTOUN

LEBANON

saints placed at the inside of the central
arches of the tripartite arcades. At the west-
ern inside of the south arch, one distin-
guishes a huge standing soldier saint.
Concerning the style, the paintings can
be divided into two groups. The Deesis and
Annunciation betray another hand than
the images on the upper zones inside the
nave. The stylistic features of the first group
appear to be more simple and graphic, while
those of the second are very elaborate, with
graceful pleats, heavily shadowed faces and
careful highlighting (see below). There is
also a difference in the languages used. The
first group displays inscriptions in Greek,
in particular for the names of the persons
and the text on Christ's open book. In the
Communion of the Apostles, however, the

apostles' names are in Syriac, although, as
said before, the name of the saint to the left
of the angel's bust is written in Greek
again. A large Arabic inscription runs over
the length of the north wall, but only the
first words, above the Communion scene,
have escaped destruction [cf. Fig. 3 on p.
450],
The first conclusions about the artist,
or artists, who decorated the east wall and
half-dome appear to be very spectacular.
We have recognized the style of a work-
shop that was responsible for several icons
in the Monastery of St. Catherine on
Mount Sinai, in particular a two-sided icon
representing a Virgin Hodegetria (obverse)
and Sts Sergius and Bacchus on horseback
(reverse), an icon with St. Sergius and a fe-


Fig. 1. Deesis scene in the half-dome of the apse in the Church of Mar Sarkis in Kaftoun
(Photo T. Waliszewski)

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