DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45581#0071
il-Medjdel
119
town. Some of these drums which are incorporated with modern buildings appear to
be in situ ·, but the crowded and filthy condition of the place makes it almost impossible
to trace a line of columns or to secure measurements of their details. Salkhad is al-
together disappointing as a site of antiquity, and of historical interest, save for its
inscriptions, many of which have been copied; but the place is well worthy of a visit
for the sake of the view that may be had from the walls of the great castle. No
such outlook is to be had from any point in the Hauran, except perhaps from the
summit of the Djebel il-KuRb, and even from that point parts of the view are ob-
structed by the peaks of other mountains. The castle of Salchad stands alone, no
neighbouring height breaks the sweep of the distant horizon. Dimly outlined against
the western sky are the mountains of Gilead, northwest soar the red tipped peaks of
the Djebel Hauran, while to east and south rolls the undulating desert; the foreground
on all sides is dotted with a hundred ruins, the towers of Melah, of Burak, of il-Mesh-
kfik, and of many other deserted towns may be seen standing boldly up to mark the
tombs of their dead cities; the unwavering line of a Roman road is seen stretching
from the foot of the castle direct to Bosra, and in the distance far beyond, and an-
other straight dark thread leads southeast through deserted towns, out into the un-
known desert.
41. AUWAS.
On the way from Salkhad to Medjdel we visited this site which is an extensive
deserted town consisting of the ruins of a large number of private residences with their
stables and other dependencies. The town was built, for the most part, in rough qua-
drated masonry, and is now much dilapidated, most of the good building material,
with all the inscriptions, having been carried off to the neighbouring large Druse village
of Orman. During the Christian period 'Auwas was a place of considerable importance;
yet I did not discover the remains of a church. But the removal of all arch stones
and lintels has reduced the ruins to a mere maze of broken walls, and it is not easy
to trace completely the outlines of any building. Waddington published several in-
scriptions from this place. Some of these are now to be seen in the village of Orman.
42. IL-MEDJDEL.
Il-Medjdel is a ruin of great interest for the study of the domestic architecture
of the little cities that are so thickly scattered over the once rich and fertile hills of
the Southern Hauran, and this is one of the ruins to which the name of city seems
much more applicable than the word village; for its streets are straight, and may be
easily followed for long distances; they usually form boundaries of rectangular blocks
of houses, and have sidewalks on one or both sides. The town was completely walled
about, partly by the rear walls of houses, and partly by walls constructed for enclosure.
The buildings here were all well built, some of them in highly finished masonry, others
in smooth quadrated work, and a few of rough quadrated masonry with finished details;
very few are in crude stone work. Many of the houses and other buildings that had
become partly ruinous were poorly restored in later Moslem times, and, at the same
time, a mosque was built in the centre of the town. The mosque was made of ancient
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expedition to Syria, Div. II, Sec. A, Pt. 2. 16
119
town. Some of these drums which are incorporated with modern buildings appear to
be in situ ·, but the crowded and filthy condition of the place makes it almost impossible
to trace a line of columns or to secure measurements of their details. Salkhad is al-
together disappointing as a site of antiquity, and of historical interest, save for its
inscriptions, many of which have been copied; but the place is well worthy of a visit
for the sake of the view that may be had from the walls of the great castle. No
such outlook is to be had from any point in the Hauran, except perhaps from the
summit of the Djebel il-KuRb, and even from that point parts of the view are ob-
structed by the peaks of other mountains. The castle of Salchad stands alone, no
neighbouring height breaks the sweep of the distant horizon. Dimly outlined against
the western sky are the mountains of Gilead, northwest soar the red tipped peaks of
the Djebel Hauran, while to east and south rolls the undulating desert; the foreground
on all sides is dotted with a hundred ruins, the towers of Melah, of Burak, of il-Mesh-
kfik, and of many other deserted towns may be seen standing boldly up to mark the
tombs of their dead cities; the unwavering line of a Roman road is seen stretching
from the foot of the castle direct to Bosra, and in the distance far beyond, and an-
other straight dark thread leads southeast through deserted towns, out into the un-
known desert.
41. AUWAS.
On the way from Salkhad to Medjdel we visited this site which is an extensive
deserted town consisting of the ruins of a large number of private residences with their
stables and other dependencies. The town was built, for the most part, in rough qua-
drated masonry, and is now much dilapidated, most of the good building material,
with all the inscriptions, having been carried off to the neighbouring large Druse village
of Orman. During the Christian period 'Auwas was a place of considerable importance;
yet I did not discover the remains of a church. But the removal of all arch stones
and lintels has reduced the ruins to a mere maze of broken walls, and it is not easy
to trace completely the outlines of any building. Waddington published several in-
scriptions from this place. Some of these are now to be seen in the village of Orman.
42. IL-MEDJDEL.
Il-Medjdel is a ruin of great interest for the study of the domestic architecture
of the little cities that are so thickly scattered over the once rich and fertile hills of
the Southern Hauran, and this is one of the ruins to which the name of city seems
much more applicable than the word village; for its streets are straight, and may be
easily followed for long distances; they usually form boundaries of rectangular blocks
of houses, and have sidewalks on one or both sides. The town was completely walled
about, partly by the rear walls of houses, and partly by walls constructed for enclosure.
The buildings here were all well built, some of them in highly finished masonry, others
in smooth quadrated work, and a few of rough quadrated masonry with finished details;
very few are in crude stone work. Many of the houses and other buildings that had
become partly ruinous were poorly restored in later Moslem times, and, at the same
time, a mosque was built in the centre of the town. The mosque was made of ancient
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expedition to Syria, Div. II, Sec. A, Pt. 2. 16