DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45603#0006
THE DJEBEL BARISHA.
INTRODUCTORY.
North of the Djebel Riha, and about 30 miles east of Antioch, are two parallel
mountain ridges, side by side, lying north and south. The western ridge is the Djebel
il-Acla; the eastern, the Djebel Barisha. The latter rises somewhat abruptly from the
plain on the east, in which are situated the inhabited villages of Kiftin, Ma'arrit il-
Misrin, and others. Near the northern end of the range, a low narrow ridge branches
to the east, and becomes a part of the Djebel Halakah. North of this low ridge lies
the Plain of Sermeda, with the modern village of Northern Dana in its centre, (See
map of Northern Syria). This plain is bounded on the west by the northern end of
the Djebel Barisha; on the other sides the Djebel Halakah forms a ring from which
its name is taken. 1 The old Roman road from Antioch passes through a narrow
defile between the northern end of the Djebel Barisha and the southwestern end of
the Djebel Halakah; it traverses the Plain of Sermeda and crosses the low ridge that
branches out from the Djebel Barisha, coming out into the lower plain near the vil-
lage of Kiftin. The extreme northern end of the Djebel Barisha, lying to the north-
west of the Sermeda plain, comprises a group of foot-hills lower than the main ridge
which falls steeply from a peak known as the Kubbit Babutta to the lower levels of
these foot-hills which are the subject of this Part.
The main ridge of the Djebel Barisha was well explored by the Count de Vogue.
Here are many large deserted and ruined towns, like Bankusa, Der Sfeta, Kokanaya,
and Dehes, the large modern village of Kurkanya built upon ancient ruins, the
smaller villages of Bashmishli, Rab'aita and Barisha, also built on ancient sites, and a
large number of deserted ruins, like Silfaya, Banakfur, Khirbit Hasan and Bashakuh.
Many of M. de Vogue’s most interesting plates were drawn from buildings in these
ruined towns, large and small, and a great number of photographs published by the
American Expedition were taken among these ruins. In the southern end of the Djebel
Barisha, the American Expedition discovered a number of important places unknown
before 1899, and, in the foot-hills at the northern end of the mountain, and upon the
northern slope of the Kubbit Babutta, a group of important sites was discovered, — eight
towns of good size and five smaller ruins —, with many dated buildings in varying
states of preservation, and a large body of Greek inscriptions, together with a smaller
number in Syriac. The American Expedition, for lack of time according to the sche-
dule laid out for its journey, was unable to devote to these towns the thorough exa-
1 Djebel Halakah means Ring Mountain.
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expedition to Syria, Div. 11, Sec. B, Pt. 4.
20
INTRODUCTORY.
North of the Djebel Riha, and about 30 miles east of Antioch, are two parallel
mountain ridges, side by side, lying north and south. The western ridge is the Djebel
il-Acla; the eastern, the Djebel Barisha. The latter rises somewhat abruptly from the
plain on the east, in which are situated the inhabited villages of Kiftin, Ma'arrit il-
Misrin, and others. Near the northern end of the range, a low narrow ridge branches
to the east, and becomes a part of the Djebel Halakah. North of this low ridge lies
the Plain of Sermeda, with the modern village of Northern Dana in its centre, (See
map of Northern Syria). This plain is bounded on the west by the northern end of
the Djebel Barisha; on the other sides the Djebel Halakah forms a ring from which
its name is taken. 1 The old Roman road from Antioch passes through a narrow
defile between the northern end of the Djebel Barisha and the southwestern end of
the Djebel Halakah; it traverses the Plain of Sermeda and crosses the low ridge that
branches out from the Djebel Barisha, coming out into the lower plain near the vil-
lage of Kiftin. The extreme northern end of the Djebel Barisha, lying to the north-
west of the Sermeda plain, comprises a group of foot-hills lower than the main ridge
which falls steeply from a peak known as the Kubbit Babutta to the lower levels of
these foot-hills which are the subject of this Part.
The main ridge of the Djebel Barisha was well explored by the Count de Vogue.
Here are many large deserted and ruined towns, like Bankusa, Der Sfeta, Kokanaya,
and Dehes, the large modern village of Kurkanya built upon ancient ruins, the
smaller villages of Bashmishli, Rab'aita and Barisha, also built on ancient sites, and a
large number of deserted ruins, like Silfaya, Banakfur, Khirbit Hasan and Bashakuh.
Many of M. de Vogue’s most interesting plates were drawn from buildings in these
ruined towns, large and small, and a great number of photographs published by the
American Expedition were taken among these ruins. In the southern end of the Djebel
Barisha, the American Expedition discovered a number of important places unknown
before 1899, and, in the foot-hills at the northern end of the mountain, and upon the
northern slope of the Kubbit Babutta, a group of important sites was discovered, — eight
towns of good size and five smaller ruins —, with many dated buildings in varying
states of preservation, and a large body of Greek inscriptions, together with a smaller
number in Syriac. The American Expedition, for lack of time according to the sche-
dule laid out for its journey, was unable to devote to these towns the thorough exa-
1 Djebel Halakah means Ring Mountain.
Publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expedition to Syria, Div. 11, Sec. B, Pt. 4.
20