DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45581#0052
id-Der
ιοί
material is a very porous kind of basalt taken from the surface and not quarried.
There is no evidence that the site was occupied in Roman or Christian times; at least
these periods left none of their characteristic marks upon the buildings which are com-
posed of a few small rooms without any definite plans; but the walls have doubtless
been used as enclosures for the protection of sheep and cattle at night, for many
generations. To the north of the ruin is a large birkeh, or reservoir, partly natural
and partly built of rough boulders. No date, of course, can be assigned to ruins of
this type. There are ruins of small settlements, quite as crude as this, in many parts
of the Hauran; they are less solidly built and often poorer in many ways; but each
of them gives some sign that stamps it as belonging to some historical period — a
crude imitation of some well-known ornament, a rude inscription, a roughly scratched
cross —·, but here there is no mark of the tools of civilized builders. Remains of this
kind are, to my mind, relics of the earliest occupation of these once fertile regions,
by man in his earliest building age, and that, of course, may mean of the highest
antiquity.
17. il-bezAyiz.
Southeast of Hammas is this ancient site which was occupied by Moslems during
the middle ages, and is still used as sheep-folds by the shepherds of the region. It
is in a sadly ruined condition, yet it can be seen that the ruin was a town of more
than medium importance, and had buildings of good architectural quality. A few an-
cient semi-circular arches and many sections of walls are still in situ; but the state of
the ruins is such that definite plans could not be made without the expenditure of much
time and labour, which would hardly be worth while. Near the centre of the ruin is
a poorly constructed mosque of the mediaeval period, and almost all of the houses
bear signs of Moslem occupation, in crudely built pointed arches and roughly rebuilt
walls. A few minutes’ walk to the eastward of this ruin is a low hill covered with
ancient architectural remains; this is called Korn il-Bezayiz. The buildings here seem
to have been destroyed, at an early period, for the sake of the material in them.
This destruction may have been for the building of the town near by, or for the con-
struction of the castle at Bosra which is not far away. The fragments of buildings
which remain are chiefly in rough quadrated masonry, though there is one small build-
ing, or part of one, in highly finished ashlar, that was converted into a small mosque
or weli, at some time since the seventh century. On the northeastern edge of the
ruins are the remains of a small circular structure which resemble the ruins of the
Nabataean tomb-towers in the valley below Sic.
18. ID-DER.
A place almost due south of Bosra, originally the site of a Roman temple, and
of a group of large villas, was chosen in the fourth of fifth century for the location
of the large and important monastery (Ill. 80) which gave the place its present name.
The town became an important centre during the middle ages, when part of the mo-
nastery was used as a khan, and many of the villas were rebuilt or altered, and when
one of the ancient buildings was converted into a mosque and given a minaret. This
ιοί
material is a very porous kind of basalt taken from the surface and not quarried.
There is no evidence that the site was occupied in Roman or Christian times; at least
these periods left none of their characteristic marks upon the buildings which are com-
posed of a few small rooms without any definite plans; but the walls have doubtless
been used as enclosures for the protection of sheep and cattle at night, for many
generations. To the north of the ruin is a large birkeh, or reservoir, partly natural
and partly built of rough boulders. No date, of course, can be assigned to ruins of
this type. There are ruins of small settlements, quite as crude as this, in many parts
of the Hauran; they are less solidly built and often poorer in many ways; but each
of them gives some sign that stamps it as belonging to some historical period — a
crude imitation of some well-known ornament, a rude inscription, a roughly scratched
cross —·, but here there is no mark of the tools of civilized builders. Remains of this
kind are, to my mind, relics of the earliest occupation of these once fertile regions,
by man in his earliest building age, and that, of course, may mean of the highest
antiquity.
17. il-bezAyiz.
Southeast of Hammas is this ancient site which was occupied by Moslems during
the middle ages, and is still used as sheep-folds by the shepherds of the region. It
is in a sadly ruined condition, yet it can be seen that the ruin was a town of more
than medium importance, and had buildings of good architectural quality. A few an-
cient semi-circular arches and many sections of walls are still in situ; but the state of
the ruins is such that definite plans could not be made without the expenditure of much
time and labour, which would hardly be worth while. Near the centre of the ruin is
a poorly constructed mosque of the mediaeval period, and almost all of the houses
bear signs of Moslem occupation, in crudely built pointed arches and roughly rebuilt
walls. A few minutes’ walk to the eastward of this ruin is a low hill covered with
ancient architectural remains; this is called Korn il-Bezayiz. The buildings here seem
to have been destroyed, at an early period, for the sake of the material in them.
This destruction may have been for the building of the town near by, or for the con-
struction of the castle at Bosra which is not far away. The fragments of buildings
which remain are chiefly in rough quadrated masonry, though there is one small build-
ing, or part of one, in highly finished ashlar, that was converted into a small mosque
or weli, at some time since the seventh century. On the northeastern edge of the
ruins are the remains of a small circular structure which resemble the ruins of the
Nabataean tomb-towers in the valley below Sic.
18. ID-DER.
A place almost due south of Bosra, originally the site of a Roman temple, and
of a group of large villas, was chosen in the fourth of fifth century for the location
of the large and important monastery (Ill. 80) which gave the place its present name.
The town became an important centre during the middle ages, when part of the mo-
nastery was used as a khan, and many of the villas were rebuilt or altered, and when
one of the ancient buildings was converted into a mosque and given a minaret. This