DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45601#0057
Ruweha
143
the villas, and lead out to more villas and tombs on the outskirts of the town. One
of the villas on this side of the ruins was published by the American Expedition.1
Near the eastern end of the broad street is the fine temple-tomb3 which is perfectly
preserved, and has an inscription of the year 384 A.D. in its tympanum. East of the
business centre of the town is another broad street which runs north and south. Upon
this street is situated a wonderful row of great villas that are among the finest in
Syria, one of which, dated 396 A.D., has been published with plans and photographs.3
On the north of the agora, and separated from it by several blocks of ruined buildings,
private residences and smaller villas, is the great North Church, which we have called
the “Bizzos Church” from an inscription4 upon it which seems to make it clear that
the church was erected by one Bizzos son of Pardos, whose tomb stands within the
sacred enclosure. This edifice I have chosen for a new publication.
Church of Bizzos. This church is the largest in the Djebel Riha; it is only
second in size to the great church at Brad in the Djebel Simcan, and third to the
“Cathedral” of Kerratin, which is the largest of all the Syrian churches known. It
was published in a ground-plan, a cross section on large scale, and a longitudinal
section on very small scale, in La Syrie Centralep and in a plan (reproduced from
M. de Vogue’s work) and five photographs in the publications of the American Expe-
dition.6 Since it is the finest of the churches in the region which forms the subject
of this Part of the present publications, and is, in some respects, the most important
church in Northern Syria, I have thought it would be well to republish it here, with
the aid of a new plan, a more complete set of elevations and sections on large scale,
and two photographs hitherto unpublished.
Plan-. My plan (Ill. 165) does not differ, in any essential points, from that published
by M. de Vogue, except that a distinction is made, by the use of cross hatching and
solid black, between the walls which have fallen and those which are still in situ, and
the platform which was built on both sides, and in front of the church, is shown as a
pavement. The important feature of this church, the feature that gives it a distinctive
place among the churches of Syria, is to be seen in the plan, I refer to the T-form
piers of the nave, which supported not only the usual longitudinal arches, but two
higher transverse arches that spanned the nave, dividing the plan into three equal
squares. A spacious arched narthex stood at the west end of the nave, and hooded,
two-columned porches gave dignity to the two portals on either side of the nave; the
presbyterium is a deep-set apse between two narrow, oblong chambers, all within a
straight east wall. The domed tomb of Bizzos stands a few yards south of the wall
of the prothesis, ’ and a temple-tomb, distyle in antis, stands on the north side of the
church, near the east end of the north aisle. Church and tombs are enclosed within
a great wall forming a square peribolos that was entered from the south through a
double-arched vestibule with a porter’s lodge beside it, built within the wall, and from
the east and west by simple gateways.
Superstructure. The conditions of preservation in this building are to be seen in
the photographs that are referred to above as having been published by the American
Expedition, in the two photographs (Ills. 166, 167) presented herewith, and in Plates
XV and XVII, which show also restorations of the fallen parts. The west wall of the
1 A.A.E.S. II p. 177.
4 A.A.E.S. III, insc. 266.
2 Ibid. II, p. 113.
5 5.C. Pls. 68, 69.
3 Ibid. II, pp. 119, 122, 225.
6 A.S.E.S. II, pp. 227—229.
143
the villas, and lead out to more villas and tombs on the outskirts of the town. One
of the villas on this side of the ruins was published by the American Expedition.1
Near the eastern end of the broad street is the fine temple-tomb3 which is perfectly
preserved, and has an inscription of the year 384 A.D. in its tympanum. East of the
business centre of the town is another broad street which runs north and south. Upon
this street is situated a wonderful row of great villas that are among the finest in
Syria, one of which, dated 396 A.D., has been published with plans and photographs.3
On the north of the agora, and separated from it by several blocks of ruined buildings,
private residences and smaller villas, is the great North Church, which we have called
the “Bizzos Church” from an inscription4 upon it which seems to make it clear that
the church was erected by one Bizzos son of Pardos, whose tomb stands within the
sacred enclosure. This edifice I have chosen for a new publication.
Church of Bizzos. This church is the largest in the Djebel Riha; it is only
second in size to the great church at Brad in the Djebel Simcan, and third to the
“Cathedral” of Kerratin, which is the largest of all the Syrian churches known. It
was published in a ground-plan, a cross section on large scale, and a longitudinal
section on very small scale, in La Syrie Centralep and in a plan (reproduced from
M. de Vogue’s work) and five photographs in the publications of the American Expe-
dition.6 Since it is the finest of the churches in the region which forms the subject
of this Part of the present publications, and is, in some respects, the most important
church in Northern Syria, I have thought it would be well to republish it here, with
the aid of a new plan, a more complete set of elevations and sections on large scale,
and two photographs hitherto unpublished.
Plan-. My plan (Ill. 165) does not differ, in any essential points, from that published
by M. de Vogue, except that a distinction is made, by the use of cross hatching and
solid black, between the walls which have fallen and those which are still in situ, and
the platform which was built on both sides, and in front of the church, is shown as a
pavement. The important feature of this church, the feature that gives it a distinctive
place among the churches of Syria, is to be seen in the plan, I refer to the T-form
piers of the nave, which supported not only the usual longitudinal arches, but two
higher transverse arches that spanned the nave, dividing the plan into three equal
squares. A spacious arched narthex stood at the west end of the nave, and hooded,
two-columned porches gave dignity to the two portals on either side of the nave; the
presbyterium is a deep-set apse between two narrow, oblong chambers, all within a
straight east wall. The domed tomb of Bizzos stands a few yards south of the wall
of the prothesis, ’ and a temple-tomb, distyle in antis, stands on the north side of the
church, near the east end of the north aisle. Church and tombs are enclosed within
a great wall forming a square peribolos that was entered from the south through a
double-arched vestibule with a porter’s lodge beside it, built within the wall, and from
the east and west by simple gateways.
Superstructure. The conditions of preservation in this building are to be seen in
the photographs that are referred to above as having been published by the American
Expedition, in the two photographs (Ills. 166, 167) presented herewith, and in Plates
XV and XVII, which show also restorations of the fallen parts. The west wall of the
1 A.A.E.S. II p. 177.
4 A.A.E.S. III, insc. 266.
2 Ibid. II, p. 113.
5 5.C. Pls. 68, 69.
3 Ibid. II, pp. 119, 122, 225.
6 A.S.E.S. II, pp. 227—229.