DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45588#0045
43§
Division II Section A Part 7
four metres above the ground. It is impossible to assign a date or purpose to these
buildings. It may be that they are of Mediaeval origin, but their stonework is far
better than most of the early Arab work in this region. They were almost certainly
not tomb-towers. It has been suggested that they were originally wind-mills which might
account for the doorway high above the ground. One naturally classes them with the
watch-towers which abound among the ancient ruins of Syria; but I have never seen
any of the towers of this kind with sloping sides. The tower shown in the photograph
may be compared with that published in an earlier Part of these publications, found in
the Djebel Haur&n k
150. shacArah.
On the road northward from Stir to Sha'arah, along the western edge of the Ledja,
we passed through several small and unimportant ruins which are given on the map,
and which should be mentioned briefly here. The first of these is Ml&hah, a much
dilapidated ruin of the Christian period, offering neither inscriptions nor architectural
features of any interest. The second, cAib, is a very small ruin among trees and
undergrowth quite heavy for the region. The third is Kr£m, a small village of the
Christian period, in which the poorly
built houses are still quite well
preserved and in occasional use as
shelters for cattle. Kastal Krem, a
little to the southeast, and on higher
ground, appears to have been nothing
more than a look-out with a square
tower now in complete ruins. KaPat
Esmca, situated on the rim of the
Ledja and near one of the partly
artificial entrances to the lava fields,
consists of a low, broad, ruined tower, built undoubtedly as a look-out, and a group of
houses of the poorest class.
Shacarah is a ruin of considerable extent and interest, situated within the edge of
the Ledja just below its northwest angle. It is inhabited by a small number of settled
Bedawin. The ruins give evidence that the town was one of importance in Roman and
early Christian times, and that it was one of the more important local centres of Moslem
activity in the Middle Ages. Capitals are to be seen here (Ill. 385) which resemble
Nabataean details; there are paved streets, and remains of colonnades which lined them,
as well as baths and fragmentary details of temples of the Roman period. The Christian
period is represented by houses and two towers; and the Moslem, by two mosques,
one of which is comparatively well preserved. On the west side of the ruins is a large
arched building with its roof intact, which the natives call a khan. It was not impro-
bably built for just such a purpose. The building belongs to one of the earlier periods.
It is now often employed for the stabling of animals, and this fact may account for
the present Arabic name of the town, which signifies stables. Few of the more ancient
buildings, excepting the baths, are well preserved. Although fragments of temple archi¬
Div. II, Sect. A, Part 5, p. 354.
Division II Section A Part 7
four metres above the ground. It is impossible to assign a date or purpose to these
buildings. It may be that they are of Mediaeval origin, but their stonework is far
better than most of the early Arab work in this region. They were almost certainly
not tomb-towers. It has been suggested that they were originally wind-mills which might
account for the doorway high above the ground. One naturally classes them with the
watch-towers which abound among the ancient ruins of Syria; but I have never seen
any of the towers of this kind with sloping sides. The tower shown in the photograph
may be compared with that published in an earlier Part of these publications, found in
the Djebel Haur&n k
150. shacArah.
On the road northward from Stir to Sha'arah, along the western edge of the Ledja,
we passed through several small and unimportant ruins which are given on the map,
and which should be mentioned briefly here. The first of these is Ml&hah, a much
dilapidated ruin of the Christian period, offering neither inscriptions nor architectural
features of any interest. The second, cAib, is a very small ruin among trees and
undergrowth quite heavy for the region. The third is Kr£m, a small village of the
Christian period, in which the poorly
built houses are still quite well
preserved and in occasional use as
shelters for cattle. Kastal Krem, a
little to the southeast, and on higher
ground, appears to have been nothing
more than a look-out with a square
tower now in complete ruins. KaPat
Esmca, situated on the rim of the
Ledja and near one of the partly
artificial entrances to the lava fields,
consists of a low, broad, ruined tower, built undoubtedly as a look-out, and a group of
houses of the poorest class.
Shacarah is a ruin of considerable extent and interest, situated within the edge of
the Ledja just below its northwest angle. It is inhabited by a small number of settled
Bedawin. The ruins give evidence that the town was one of importance in Roman and
early Christian times, and that it was one of the more important local centres of Moslem
activity in the Middle Ages. Capitals are to be seen here (Ill. 385) which resemble
Nabataean details; there are paved streets, and remains of colonnades which lined them,
as well as baths and fragmentary details of temples of the Roman period. The Christian
period is represented by houses and two towers; and the Moslem, by two mosques,
one of which is comparatively well preserved. On the west side of the ruins is a large
arched building with its roof intact, which the natives call a khan. It was not impro-
bably built for just such a purpose. The building belongs to one of the earlier periods.
It is now often employed for the stabling of animals, and this fact may account for
the present Arabic name of the town, which signifies stables. Few of the more ancient
buildings, excepting the baths, are well preserved. Although fragments of temple archi¬
Div. II, Sect. A, Part 5, p. 354.