DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45581#0042
II. A. 2. — Southern Hauran
92
at this place is situated near the
·€>■*
to the south, with a wall on its west
2.0
G.2. <
over half
has been
west wall
has been
il-vmtAiyeh·
CHVRCHNT·
Ill. 71.
IILAWAlYEH·
I
CHVBCHW-
Church No. i : 508 A.D. (?) The North Church, a small undivided chapel, now
almost totally ruined,
was built in highly finished masonry. It is perhaps the best
example of masonry in the town, excepting only the “Mosque”,
and is probably the oldest of the Christian buildings. It was
originally nearly square, divided into three bays by two trans-
verse arches (Ill. 71), and has a deep projecting apse. At
a later, but still Christian, period, a fourth bay was added at
the west end, in an inferior class of masonry. There is a
doorway in the north side of the second bay from the apse,
which was originally the middle bay, and one in the new bay.
A lintel was found in a courtyard near by, that may have
belonged to this later doorway. An inscription 1 upon it gives
a date which, with some uncertainty, may be read 508 A.D.,
and this is perhaps the date of the addition. A small chamber
was added to the south side of the chapel; it was reached through a doorway in the
second bay, and had a large doorway opening out to the east. The chamber seems
to have been used at a later date as a small mosque or a Mohammedan shrine, and
one of the present praying-places of the town is situated just beside it.
Church No. 2. The largest of the churches
northeastern limits of the town. It is a true ba¬
silica (Ill. 72) with three bays of longitudinal arches
and a deep-set apse between side chambers. Its
north wall is intact, and unbroken, save for a narrow
doorway and a few very small windows high up.
The apse and side chambers preserve
of their original height; the south wall
demolished, and only fragments of the
are in place. One of the interior piers
preserved, and this suffices to give the positions
of the others which have disappeared. The south
aisle was widened at the easternmost bay, and a
narrow entrance was provided in the angle: the
width of the prothesis was made to correspond to
this widening of the aisle. There are some remains
of a row of buildings on the east side of a court
side. This building was entirely of rough quadrated masonry: the interior arches and
piers and other details that were of finished stone, have been carried away.
Church No. 3. Directly south of Church No. 2 and only 26 m. distant, stand
the ruins of another church. This preserves its outer walls and its apse almost intact;
but the half dome of the apse has fallen in, and the interior arches of the nave have
been completely removed. It can be known, from the responds at both ends, that
this church was divided into three aisles by a longitudinal system of arches (Ill. 73).
Its apse projected considerably, and there were no side chambers. This was one of
those churches, not uncommon in the Southern Hauran, which had three aisles of
1 Div. Ill, inscr. 38.
92
at this place is situated near the
·€>■*
to the south, with a wall on its west
2.0
G.2. <
over half
has been
west wall
has been
il-vmtAiyeh·
CHVRCHNT·
Ill. 71.
IILAWAlYEH·
I
CHVBCHW-
Church No. i : 508 A.D. (?) The North Church, a small undivided chapel, now
almost totally ruined,
was built in highly finished masonry. It is perhaps the best
example of masonry in the town, excepting only the “Mosque”,
and is probably the oldest of the Christian buildings. It was
originally nearly square, divided into three bays by two trans-
verse arches (Ill. 71), and has a deep projecting apse. At
a later, but still Christian, period, a fourth bay was added at
the west end, in an inferior class of masonry. There is a
doorway in the north side of the second bay from the apse,
which was originally the middle bay, and one in the new bay.
A lintel was found in a courtyard near by, that may have
belonged to this later doorway. An inscription 1 upon it gives
a date which, with some uncertainty, may be read 508 A.D.,
and this is perhaps the date of the addition. A small chamber
was added to the south side of the chapel; it was reached through a doorway in the
second bay, and had a large doorway opening out to the east. The chamber seems
to have been used at a later date as a small mosque or a Mohammedan shrine, and
one of the present praying-places of the town is situated just beside it.
Church No. 2. The largest of the churches
northeastern limits of the town. It is a true ba¬
silica (Ill. 72) with three bays of longitudinal arches
and a deep-set apse between side chambers. Its
north wall is intact, and unbroken, save for a narrow
doorway and a few very small windows high up.
The apse and side chambers preserve
of their original height; the south wall
demolished, and only fragments of the
are in place. One of the interior piers
preserved, and this suffices to give the positions
of the others which have disappeared. The south
aisle was widened at the easternmost bay, and a
narrow entrance was provided in the angle: the
width of the prothesis was made to correspond to
this widening of the aisle. There are some remains
of a row of buildings on the east side of a court
side. This building was entirely of rough quadrated masonry: the interior arches and
piers and other details that were of finished stone, have been carried away.
Church No. 3. Directly south of Church No. 2 and only 26 m. distant, stand
the ruins of another church. This preserves its outer walls and its apse almost intact;
but the half dome of the apse has fallen in, and the interior arches of the nave have
been completely removed. It can be known, from the responds at both ends, that
this church was divided into three aisles by a longitudinal system of arches (Ill. 73).
Its apse projected considerably, and there were no side chambers. This was one of
those churches, not uncommon in the Southern Hauran, which had three aisles of
1 Div. Ill, inscr. 38.