DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45584#0010
302
Division II Section A Part 5
ground storey. The great hall in the middle is now spanned by one of two arches
of later construction than the original; but the piers of the single original arch are
still standing. The corbel course in the wall shows that the ceiling of this room was
composed of slabs at least 4 m. long. The room was lighted by a row of three
windows over the large doorway. Small doorways to right and left afford communi-
cation with adjoining rooms. Above the general reception hall was another large room,
also spanned by a single arch the piers of which are still to be seen, but roofed with
a double pitched roof of wood. The windows of this room consist of a row of three
— a circular opening between two rectangular ones all of uncommon size - and a large
circular window in the gable end. These openings are still to be seen in the south
wall; the north wall, above the unbroken lower storey, is in ruins. On either side of
the hall the house is not so deep by 2 m., so that there is an offset in the north
wall. The rooms flanking the main hall are narrow. On the east side one of these
is perfectly preserved and is inhabited, the other is used for storage and is inaccessible,
but it appears to be quite similar. The arch which spans the room is placed forward
of the middle, dividing it into an oblong space in front ceiled with slabs, and a nearly
square space at the rear covered by a tunnel vault composed of long slabs of basalt
carried upon deep overhanging mouldings. The piers which carry the arch have richly
moulded caps, and the archivolt of the arch itself is moulded. The stone floor of this
rear portion of the room is elevated above the pavement of the front part, like the
Oriental diwan, and the walls are highly finished. The apartment was lighted by three
rectangular windows over the entrance. These sections of the villa were carried up in
two towers, one on either side of the middle section. Over the room just described
is an apartment spanned by two transverse arches and ceiled with stone slabs from
end to end. Its floor is over a metre below the level of that of the upper storey of
the middle room (Ill. 269), but there are remains of connecting doorways and of steps
in the thickness of the walls. These apartments were reached also from the outside
by balconies corbelled out from the front wall, which connected with corbelled stair-
cases rising from the angles of the court. The uppermost storeys of these tower-like
structures exist now only in fragments of the walls of the one on the east. It is apparent
that they had transverse arches, and it is probable that they were roofed with
held in place by parapets, as the restoration indicates. The next rooms on either
of the middle group must be restored from the very well preserved room on the e
The floor level of this is over a metre lower than that of the rooms just described:
it is long and narrow and is spanned by two low arches carrying slabs of basalt, which
leave space for another low storey under the level of the ceiling of the room adjoining
it on the west. The east wall of the lower apartment is open between the piers of
its arches, and the spaces are filled with stone mangers showing that it was a stable.
The higher floors of these parts are in ruins. The exterior finish of the walls is un-
usually fine throughout, and there are numerous interesting details of stonework. The
over-lintel of the great middle doorway is of three pieces ingeniously dove-tailed together,
and the gable wall with its circular window is composed of large slabs cut into curious
shapes notched and fitted together so as to form an intricate design (Ill. 270) not
unlike that of the gable end of the “Praetorium” at Umm idj-Djimal.1 The plain surface
1 II. A. 3., Ill. 142.
Division II Section A Part 5
ground storey. The great hall in the middle is now spanned by one of two arches
of later construction than the original; but the piers of the single original arch are
still standing. The corbel course in the wall shows that the ceiling of this room was
composed of slabs at least 4 m. long. The room was lighted by a row of three
windows over the large doorway. Small doorways to right and left afford communi-
cation with adjoining rooms. Above the general reception hall was another large room,
also spanned by a single arch the piers of which are still to be seen, but roofed with
a double pitched roof of wood. The windows of this room consist of a row of three
— a circular opening between two rectangular ones all of uncommon size - and a large
circular window in the gable end. These openings are still to be seen in the south
wall; the north wall, above the unbroken lower storey, is in ruins. On either side of
the hall the house is not so deep by 2 m., so that there is an offset in the north
wall. The rooms flanking the main hall are narrow. On the east side one of these
is perfectly preserved and is inhabited, the other is used for storage and is inaccessible,
but it appears to be quite similar. The arch which spans the room is placed forward
of the middle, dividing it into an oblong space in front ceiled with slabs, and a nearly
square space at the rear covered by a tunnel vault composed of long slabs of basalt
carried upon deep overhanging mouldings. The piers which carry the arch have richly
moulded caps, and the archivolt of the arch itself is moulded. The stone floor of this
rear portion of the room is elevated above the pavement of the front part, like the
Oriental diwan, and the walls are highly finished. The apartment was lighted by three
rectangular windows over the entrance. These sections of the villa were carried up in
two towers, one on either side of the middle section. Over the room just described
is an apartment spanned by two transverse arches and ceiled with stone slabs from
end to end. Its floor is over a metre below the level of that of the upper storey of
the middle room (Ill. 269), but there are remains of connecting doorways and of steps
in the thickness of the walls. These apartments were reached also from the outside
by balconies corbelled out from the front wall, which connected with corbelled stair-
cases rising from the angles of the court. The uppermost storeys of these tower-like
structures exist now only in fragments of the walls of the one on the east. It is apparent
that they had transverse arches, and it is probable that they were roofed with
held in place by parapets, as the restoration indicates. The next rooms on either
of the middle group must be restored from the very well preserved room on the e
The floor level of this is over a metre lower than that of the rooms just described:
it is long and narrow and is spanned by two low arches carrying slabs of basalt, which
leave space for another low storey under the level of the ceiling of the room adjoining
it on the west. The east wall of the lower apartment is open between the piers of
its arches, and the spaces are filled with stone mangers showing that it was a stable.
The higher floors of these parts are in ruins. The exterior finish of the walls is un-
usually fine throughout, and there are numerous interesting details of stonework. The
over-lintel of the great middle doorway is of three pieces ingeniously dove-tailed together,
and the gable wall with its circular window is composed of large slabs cut into curious
shapes notched and fitted together so as to form an intricate design (Ill. 270) not
unlike that of the gable end of the “Praetorium” at Umm idj-Djimal.1 The plain surface
1 II. A. 3., Ill. 142.