DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.71526#0247
differentiated by characteristic forms shared by all three
groups (e.g. the Corinthian Capital with a circular upper
zone, the so-called Az4z^Aw-capital).
Before I present the results of the different groups in
their context, it has to be asked which of the innovations
brought to the Limestone Massif through the buildings
of Qalblöze and of Qalcat Simcän had changed the overall
picture of architectural decoration during the late fifth
and the sixth centuries, irrespective of profound dif-
ferences between individual buildings. First of all I refer
to the fa^ade mouldings, which had changed even the
appearance of single-naved churches. The combination
of horizontal cornices and continuous window mould-
ings appears more frequently in the buildings of group I,
while they are rarely found on churches of local building
tradition (pl. 104c). On the other hand, continuous or
single framing mouldings also appear in the latter, in
numerous variations and as a consequence of local pre-
dilections for undulating forms, even if these sometimes
had developed far away from their prototypes at Qalcat
Simcän. It is important for the classification of local tra-
ditions that in the Gebel Simcän window mouldings are
almost entirely missing from the main fagades, but they
appear as exterior mouldings of the upper story (pl.
153a). In the central regions of Antiochene, the omission
of fagade mouldings is as diagnostic for the analysis of
local workshops as is the form of window mouldings,
which sometimes changes from one side of the fa^ade to
the other (pl. 45b; 46; 91; 96e. f; 105a; 108).
It is remarkable that in no single church interior the
mouldings of arcade archivolts - one of the key elements
of architectural decoration at Qalcat Simcän and in the
NW-monastery of Deir Simcän - have been identified
with certainty. Although further research is required, it is
apparent that such profiles were absorbed into the Pro-
gramme of architectural sculpture in very few cases. This
evidence is remarkable, compared with the Situation in
northern Mesopotamia.
Lavishly decorated doors are another element charac-
teristic of the sixth Century, as opposed to the fifth. Of
particular significance are the doors with enveloping
profiles, often with mouldings ending in volutes at the
base and with the ovolo profile as one of the most charac-
teristic features.
As regards capitals, the Corinthian Capital with
smooth or detailed acanthus, which in the fifth Century
had been limited to a few outstanding buildings, was
now more frequent even in local workshops. In contrast
to the fifth Century, it could also figure as the main form
in domestic porticoes (pl. 97; 126a. b. d). This evidence
allows one to sort out some similarities between the
sixth-century secular buildings of the central regions and
the houses of the sixth Century in the Gebel Zäwiye.
It is important that a new creation of sixth-century ar-
chitectural sculpture, the so-called ^zzÄzzAw-capital, had
been absorbed by local workshops (pl. 97; 107a; 119d),
but that main features of the repertory of Qalcat Simcän
- the dissolution of traditional forms of leaves and scrolls
and the sharp contrast between smooth geometric and
>classical< acanthus-forms — played an important role
only in the major churches, i.e. in those of group I. It is
also noteworthy that the forms linked to the “renovation”
of the acanthus were known in simple local workshops,
but employed to a minimal extent.
In order to ‘understand’ the churches of Deir Setä and El
Bärä, Bäfetin and Bäqirhä, Mecez and Bänqusä, Bärisä,
Behyo and Kefr Kllä, one has to look at the capitals of
the Hallawiya on the one hand, and at the churches of
northern Mesopotamia on the other hand. The buildings
represent two fundamentally different formal treatments
of the acanthus and of the scrolls, which existed one
alongside the other during the sixth Century - one of the
most relevant results of the present study.
On the basis of the unique evidence of four work-
shops, each of them operating in two or three of the
aforesaid buildings of group I, one may study thoroughly
the differing reception of the two formal treatments in
each of the workshops.
The evidence of the church which was incorporated into
the Madrasa al Hallawiya has been considerably dis-
turbed. There is no doubt that several capitals no longer
stand in their original position and that some of them
had been already damaged at the time of replacing. There
are serious arguments that at least some of the capitals
were replaced during the Islamic period, but it cannot be
excluded that the Byzantine centralized building had
already been damaged by a sixth-century earthquake and
repaired.
Unlike what one can see today, one has to imagine
that the original evidence of capitals in the church of
Beroea (ca. 500 A.D.), was characterized by the combination
of smooth geometric and classicaf forms of acanthus on
a single Capital (pl. 2. 4a; 5b. c; 6d; 8c). In addition to
this co-existence of contrasting forms on one Capital, the
transfer of tendril elements (fig. 2a-c. e) and of volute-/
palmette motifs (fig. 2h. i. k) to the traditional form of
the leaves goes far beyond the capitals of Qalcat Simcän.
It is fascinating that the first phase of this important process
can still be seen on the pier capitals of the Hallawiya (pl.
6a-c). Only a few years after ca. 500 A.D. this first phase
was followed elsewhere by the adoption of the new forms
of leaves on the column Capital (pl. 14d-f; 17a; 20a; 21).
It is most significant for the early sixth-century chur-
ches in the Limestone Massif that the limestone capitals
of the city of Beroea show the close link in architectural
sculpture between the Massif and the cities of northern
Syria, not only by means of the material limestone, but
by the main forms of the Corinthian Capital. After only a
short period, the innovations of the Hallawiya spread to
227
groups (e.g. the Corinthian Capital with a circular upper
zone, the so-called Az4z^Aw-capital).
Before I present the results of the different groups in
their context, it has to be asked which of the innovations
brought to the Limestone Massif through the buildings
of Qalblöze and of Qalcat Simcän had changed the overall
picture of architectural decoration during the late fifth
and the sixth centuries, irrespective of profound dif-
ferences between individual buildings. First of all I refer
to the fa^ade mouldings, which had changed even the
appearance of single-naved churches. The combination
of horizontal cornices and continuous window mould-
ings appears more frequently in the buildings of group I,
while they are rarely found on churches of local building
tradition (pl. 104c). On the other hand, continuous or
single framing mouldings also appear in the latter, in
numerous variations and as a consequence of local pre-
dilections for undulating forms, even if these sometimes
had developed far away from their prototypes at Qalcat
Simcän. It is important for the classification of local tra-
ditions that in the Gebel Simcän window mouldings are
almost entirely missing from the main fagades, but they
appear as exterior mouldings of the upper story (pl.
153a). In the central regions of Antiochene, the omission
of fagade mouldings is as diagnostic for the analysis of
local workshops as is the form of window mouldings,
which sometimes changes from one side of the fa^ade to
the other (pl. 45b; 46; 91; 96e. f; 105a; 108).
It is remarkable that in no single church interior the
mouldings of arcade archivolts - one of the key elements
of architectural decoration at Qalcat Simcän and in the
NW-monastery of Deir Simcän - have been identified
with certainty. Although further research is required, it is
apparent that such profiles were absorbed into the Pro-
gramme of architectural sculpture in very few cases. This
evidence is remarkable, compared with the Situation in
northern Mesopotamia.
Lavishly decorated doors are another element charac-
teristic of the sixth Century, as opposed to the fifth. Of
particular significance are the doors with enveloping
profiles, often with mouldings ending in volutes at the
base and with the ovolo profile as one of the most charac-
teristic features.
As regards capitals, the Corinthian Capital with
smooth or detailed acanthus, which in the fifth Century
had been limited to a few outstanding buildings, was
now more frequent even in local workshops. In contrast
to the fifth Century, it could also figure as the main form
in domestic porticoes (pl. 97; 126a. b. d). This evidence
allows one to sort out some similarities between the
sixth-century secular buildings of the central regions and
the houses of the sixth Century in the Gebel Zäwiye.
It is important that a new creation of sixth-century ar-
chitectural sculpture, the so-called ^zzÄzzAw-capital, had
been absorbed by local workshops (pl. 97; 107a; 119d),
but that main features of the repertory of Qalcat Simcän
- the dissolution of traditional forms of leaves and scrolls
and the sharp contrast between smooth geometric and
>classical< acanthus-forms — played an important role
only in the major churches, i.e. in those of group I. It is
also noteworthy that the forms linked to the “renovation”
of the acanthus were known in simple local workshops,
but employed to a minimal extent.
In order to ‘understand’ the churches of Deir Setä and El
Bärä, Bäfetin and Bäqirhä, Mecez and Bänqusä, Bärisä,
Behyo and Kefr Kllä, one has to look at the capitals of
the Hallawiya on the one hand, and at the churches of
northern Mesopotamia on the other hand. The buildings
represent two fundamentally different formal treatments
of the acanthus and of the scrolls, which existed one
alongside the other during the sixth Century - one of the
most relevant results of the present study.
On the basis of the unique evidence of four work-
shops, each of them operating in two or three of the
aforesaid buildings of group I, one may study thoroughly
the differing reception of the two formal treatments in
each of the workshops.
The evidence of the church which was incorporated into
the Madrasa al Hallawiya has been considerably dis-
turbed. There is no doubt that several capitals no longer
stand in their original position and that some of them
had been already damaged at the time of replacing. There
are serious arguments that at least some of the capitals
were replaced during the Islamic period, but it cannot be
excluded that the Byzantine centralized building had
already been damaged by a sixth-century earthquake and
repaired.
Unlike what one can see today, one has to imagine
that the original evidence of capitals in the church of
Beroea (ca. 500 A.D.), was characterized by the combination
of smooth geometric and classicaf forms of acanthus on
a single Capital (pl. 2. 4a; 5b. c; 6d; 8c). In addition to
this co-existence of contrasting forms on one Capital, the
transfer of tendril elements (fig. 2a-c. e) and of volute-/
palmette motifs (fig. 2h. i. k) to the traditional form of
the leaves goes far beyond the capitals of Qalcat Simcän.
It is fascinating that the first phase of this important process
can still be seen on the pier capitals of the Hallawiya (pl.
6a-c). Only a few years after ca. 500 A.D. this first phase
was followed elsewhere by the adoption of the new forms
of leaves on the column Capital (pl. 14d-f; 17a; 20a; 21).
It is most significant for the early sixth-century chur-
ches in the Limestone Massif that the limestone capitals
of the city of Beroea show the close link in architectural
sculpture between the Massif and the cities of northern
Syria, not only by means of the material limestone, but
by the main forms of the Corinthian Capital. After only a
short period, the innovations of the Hallawiya spread to
227