DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.71526#0246
Summary
The rieh evidence of buildings in the north Syrian Lime-
stone Massif allows one to trace over a period of three
centuries the continuous development of ancient archi-
tectural decoration and the creation of new forms. As a
res ult of the particular geographical Situation of the Mas-
sif, which lies within the sphere of influence of important
cities of northern Syria (map 1) — Antiochia (Antakya),
Beroea (Aleppo), Apamea, Epiphania (Hama), Emesa
(Homs) —, these processes had been linked from as early
as the fourth Century to an exchange between the rural
and the urban milieus. This exchange increased in im-
portance particularly during the fifth Century, when
some of the urban-based architectural and decorative
forms were adopted by local workshops in the Limestone
Massif and urban workmen were employed in building
projects there. The emergence of the cult of the stylites
played a crucial role in the increase of this exchange du-
ring the second half of the fifth Century. As a result of this
cult the basilica of Qalblöze and the pilgrimage center of
Qalcat Simcän were built in Antiochene.
During the sixth Century, the influence of urban forms
reached its climax and exceeded similar processes of the
fifth Century. At the same time, the differences between
buildings of Contemporary construction increased to
such an extent that dates varying from the fourth to the
late fifth Century have been proposed for individual
buildings. The main reason for this phenomenon can
be seen in the fact that churches, whose decoration
illustrates the acceptance of forms characteristic of Qalcat
Simcän or of the capitals incorporated entirely or to a
significant degree into the Madrasa al Hallawiya at
Beroea, had been built simultaneously with other chur-
ches whose decoration resisted largely the innovations of
both the great pilgrimage center and of the church of
Beroea. In some of the churches of this group mainly the
forms of the fifth Century, based on regional traditions,
were further developed. The contrast is so marked that
one might say that, without the evidence of the complex
of Qalcat Simcän, we could not reconstruct the major
part of its architectural sculpture, if we had to rely en-
tirely on the evidence of the sixth-century churches at
Dehes and Dar Qitä, Kaukanäyä and Güwämye, Herbet
Hasan, Bäfetin and Banqüsä, Msabbak and S. Sleimän,
Kimär and Kalöta, Frikya and Mugleyya.
Closely bound with the disparate absorption of the
architectural decoration of Qalcat Simcän is the basilica
of Qalblöze. Many of the forms of capitals and archivolts at
Qalblöze were further developed at Qalcat Simcän only
few years later, the distinctive form of the pier capitals re-
mained a feature unique to Qalblöze and he combination
of both main forms of the Corinthian Capital in one
single row of piers or columns is known only from two
other buildings, which were built subsequently to the ba-
silica of Qalblöze: The churches of the 5th Century at
Bettir (471 A.D.) and at Dehes.
In spite of the chronological proximity to Qalcat
Simcän, which undoubtedly influenced the limited ab-
sorption’ of Qalblöze’s diverse decorative programme, the
evidence of the sixth-century wide-arcade basilicas at
Bäsmisli, Bämuqqä and Güwämye is surprising. While at
Bäsmisli and at Bämuqqä the System of decoration was
simplified to such an extent that no direct influence from
the neighboring village of Qalblöze can be identified, all
the decorative forms of the church of Güwämye (ca. 554
A.D.) can be explained as further developments of a few
primary forms which had first appeared at Qalcat Simcän
(pl. 91; 92). Since the individual forms of caules and
enveloping leaves on the pier capitals of Qalblöze do not
have direct sixth-century parallels in any building of local
tradition, one may conclude as follows: The influence of
the basilica of Qalblöze leads from Qalcat Simcän to the
large sixth-century churches of Deir Setä, Turmanm, el
Bärä, Bäfetin and Bäqirhä. Qalblöze is the building in
which we can identify the earlier stages of some main
forms of architectural decoration characteristic for the
centre of Qalcat Simcän, but we do not find there the
geometrical triangular patterns which are entirely new at
Qalcat Simcän, nor any of the innovations which we have
met at the Hallawiya of Beroea.
In this introduction, I once again dealt with the Situa-
tion of the buildings of Qalblöze and of Qalcat Simcän,
since their influence is crucial for the understanding of
regional workshop traditions in the Limestone Massif
and also for the reconstruction of the influence of urban
building traditions on the different regions of the Massif.
In the light of the differences between buildings of
very similar dates of construction we classified the chur-
ches in group I—III, according to their System of dec-
oration. In each of the three main categories there is at
least one church which, being dated precisely, serves as a
reference point for the reconstruction of a chronological
sequence of individual buildings. A relative chronology
has been established on the basis of the evidence of each
single group, which in particular cases could further be
226
The rieh evidence of buildings in the north Syrian Lime-
stone Massif allows one to trace over a period of three
centuries the continuous development of ancient archi-
tectural decoration and the creation of new forms. As a
res ult of the particular geographical Situation of the Mas-
sif, which lies within the sphere of influence of important
cities of northern Syria (map 1) — Antiochia (Antakya),
Beroea (Aleppo), Apamea, Epiphania (Hama), Emesa
(Homs) —, these processes had been linked from as early
as the fourth Century to an exchange between the rural
and the urban milieus. This exchange increased in im-
portance particularly during the fifth Century, when
some of the urban-based architectural and decorative
forms were adopted by local workshops in the Limestone
Massif and urban workmen were employed in building
projects there. The emergence of the cult of the stylites
played a crucial role in the increase of this exchange du-
ring the second half of the fifth Century. As a result of this
cult the basilica of Qalblöze and the pilgrimage center of
Qalcat Simcän were built in Antiochene.
During the sixth Century, the influence of urban forms
reached its climax and exceeded similar processes of the
fifth Century. At the same time, the differences between
buildings of Contemporary construction increased to
such an extent that dates varying from the fourth to the
late fifth Century have been proposed for individual
buildings. The main reason for this phenomenon can
be seen in the fact that churches, whose decoration
illustrates the acceptance of forms characteristic of Qalcat
Simcän or of the capitals incorporated entirely or to a
significant degree into the Madrasa al Hallawiya at
Beroea, had been built simultaneously with other chur-
ches whose decoration resisted largely the innovations of
both the great pilgrimage center and of the church of
Beroea. In some of the churches of this group mainly the
forms of the fifth Century, based on regional traditions,
were further developed. The contrast is so marked that
one might say that, without the evidence of the complex
of Qalcat Simcän, we could not reconstruct the major
part of its architectural sculpture, if we had to rely en-
tirely on the evidence of the sixth-century churches at
Dehes and Dar Qitä, Kaukanäyä and Güwämye, Herbet
Hasan, Bäfetin and Banqüsä, Msabbak and S. Sleimän,
Kimär and Kalöta, Frikya and Mugleyya.
Closely bound with the disparate absorption of the
architectural decoration of Qalcat Simcän is the basilica
of Qalblöze. Many of the forms of capitals and archivolts at
Qalblöze were further developed at Qalcat Simcän only
few years later, the distinctive form of the pier capitals re-
mained a feature unique to Qalblöze and he combination
of both main forms of the Corinthian Capital in one
single row of piers or columns is known only from two
other buildings, which were built subsequently to the ba-
silica of Qalblöze: The churches of the 5th Century at
Bettir (471 A.D.) and at Dehes.
In spite of the chronological proximity to Qalcat
Simcän, which undoubtedly influenced the limited ab-
sorption’ of Qalblöze’s diverse decorative programme, the
evidence of the sixth-century wide-arcade basilicas at
Bäsmisli, Bämuqqä and Güwämye is surprising. While at
Bäsmisli and at Bämuqqä the System of decoration was
simplified to such an extent that no direct influence from
the neighboring village of Qalblöze can be identified, all
the decorative forms of the church of Güwämye (ca. 554
A.D.) can be explained as further developments of a few
primary forms which had first appeared at Qalcat Simcän
(pl. 91; 92). Since the individual forms of caules and
enveloping leaves on the pier capitals of Qalblöze do not
have direct sixth-century parallels in any building of local
tradition, one may conclude as follows: The influence of
the basilica of Qalblöze leads from Qalcat Simcän to the
large sixth-century churches of Deir Setä, Turmanm, el
Bärä, Bäfetin and Bäqirhä. Qalblöze is the building in
which we can identify the earlier stages of some main
forms of architectural decoration characteristic for the
centre of Qalcat Simcän, but we do not find there the
geometrical triangular patterns which are entirely new at
Qalcat Simcän, nor any of the innovations which we have
met at the Hallawiya of Beroea.
In this introduction, I once again dealt with the Situa-
tion of the buildings of Qalblöze and of Qalcat Simcän,
since their influence is crucial for the understanding of
regional workshop traditions in the Limestone Massif
and also for the reconstruction of the influence of urban
building traditions on the different regions of the Massif.
In the light of the differences between buildings of
very similar dates of construction we classified the chur-
ches in group I—III, according to their System of dec-
oration. In each of the three main categories there is at
least one church which, being dated precisely, serves as a
reference point for the reconstruction of a chronological
sequence of individual buildings. A relative chronology
has been established on the basis of the evidence of each
single group, which in particular cases could further be
226