DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45603#0013
II. B. 4.
156
tecture. In all of these houses of the Djebel Barisha, the well known plan, familiar
in the dwellings of the Djebel Riha, of the eastern basalt country, and of the Hauran,
appears with no important alterations- this plan consists a row of rooms of equal depth,
and slightly varying width, extending along one or more sides of a courtyard. The
courtyards in the Djebel Barisha are comparatively small. The houses had usually two
stories, occasionally three, with a portico and loggia in front. The use of a girder-
arch in the larger rooms is infrequent compared with its use in the Djebel Riha, show-
ing that more wood was employed in these northern hills. The roofs were of the
same type, double-pitched structures of wood. The arched vestibules, so common in
the Djebel Riha and in the country about Kerratin, are unusual here, a vestibule with
two rectangular openings, and having a flat roof of stone slabs, taking its place.
The main difference between the private dwellings of the Djebel Barisha and those
of the Djebel Riha, are differences of external appearance, caused chiefly by the sub-
stitution of piers of rectangular section, for columns. Piers of this description, with or
without moulded caps, are almost invariably found in the porticos of the lower story,
and, very frequently, in the upper loggias. In the finer type of houses, however, one
usually finds a row of low columns, with a carved parapet between them, in the upper
story. Both types are illustrated in the chapters devoted to domestic architecture in
the American Expedition’s publications. 1 The panels of the parapets of the upper
story are often found to be the backs of stone settles placed between the columns.2
These particular evidences of homely comfort are not found in the Djebel Riha, so
far as my knowledge goes. Curious mixtures of the ancient orders are often to be
seen in the colonnades of the upper stories, and strange variations upon the old Classical
models; but the bracketed capitals that characterize the domestic architecture of the
fifth century in the Djebel Riha, are nowhere to be found in the Djebel Barisha.
Funeral Architecture. The tombs in the Djebel Barisha, in all the northern
group of mountains in fact, are not to be compared with the majestic mausoleums of
the Djebel Riha. In the northern part of the mountains there are ruins of striking
bi-columnar monuments3 that belonged to the tombs of the second century; and in
the towns of the southern part, at Djuwaniyeh and Kokanaya, there are “canopy tombs”,
i.e. tall pyramids elevated upon arches or heavy piers, of which photographs are given in
the publications of the American Expedition. 4 But in the majority of these towns,
especially in the northern part of the country, rock-hewn tombs of various kinds and of
different epochs, and elevated sarcophagi, are the only kinds of funeral architecture
that are to be found. It is singular that there are very few remains of tombs of any
kind in the vicinity of the towns in the foot-hills that are the subject of this Part. On
the slopes below Bakirha, a town which belongs properly to the high ridge, there are
ruins of tombs of the elevated-sarcophagus type; but in the lower towns the only
remains of tombs are a few rock-hewn tombs and sarcophagi in the immediate vicinity
of the churches. Although the churches of this locality are unusually fine, and many
of the houses are of the better class, there are no monumental tombs, and it is pro-
bable that the inhabitants buried their dead in simple graves excavated in the earth.
W alls. It is important to say a word on the subject of the various kinds of
wall building employed in the construction of churches, houses, and shops in these
1 A.A.E.S. II, pp. 117, 170-180, 251-262.
3 Ibid. II, pp. 59, 61, 62, 63.
2 Ibid. II, pp. 81, 172.
4 Ibid. II, p. 109.
156
tecture. In all of these houses of the Djebel Barisha, the well known plan, familiar
in the dwellings of the Djebel Riha, of the eastern basalt country, and of the Hauran,
appears with no important alterations- this plan consists a row of rooms of equal depth,
and slightly varying width, extending along one or more sides of a courtyard. The
courtyards in the Djebel Barisha are comparatively small. The houses had usually two
stories, occasionally three, with a portico and loggia in front. The use of a girder-
arch in the larger rooms is infrequent compared with its use in the Djebel Riha, show-
ing that more wood was employed in these northern hills. The roofs were of the
same type, double-pitched structures of wood. The arched vestibules, so common in
the Djebel Riha and in the country about Kerratin, are unusual here, a vestibule with
two rectangular openings, and having a flat roof of stone slabs, taking its place.
The main difference between the private dwellings of the Djebel Barisha and those
of the Djebel Riha, are differences of external appearance, caused chiefly by the sub-
stitution of piers of rectangular section, for columns. Piers of this description, with or
without moulded caps, are almost invariably found in the porticos of the lower story,
and, very frequently, in the upper loggias. In the finer type of houses, however, one
usually finds a row of low columns, with a carved parapet between them, in the upper
story. Both types are illustrated in the chapters devoted to domestic architecture in
the American Expedition’s publications. 1 The panels of the parapets of the upper
story are often found to be the backs of stone settles placed between the columns.2
These particular evidences of homely comfort are not found in the Djebel Riha, so
far as my knowledge goes. Curious mixtures of the ancient orders are often to be
seen in the colonnades of the upper stories, and strange variations upon the old Classical
models; but the bracketed capitals that characterize the domestic architecture of the
fifth century in the Djebel Riha, are nowhere to be found in the Djebel Barisha.
Funeral Architecture. The tombs in the Djebel Barisha, in all the northern
group of mountains in fact, are not to be compared with the majestic mausoleums of
the Djebel Riha. In the northern part of the mountains there are ruins of striking
bi-columnar monuments3 that belonged to the tombs of the second century; and in
the towns of the southern part, at Djuwaniyeh and Kokanaya, there are “canopy tombs”,
i.e. tall pyramids elevated upon arches or heavy piers, of which photographs are given in
the publications of the American Expedition. 4 But in the majority of these towns,
especially in the northern part of the country, rock-hewn tombs of various kinds and of
different epochs, and elevated sarcophagi, are the only kinds of funeral architecture
that are to be found. It is singular that there are very few remains of tombs of any
kind in the vicinity of the towns in the foot-hills that are the subject of this Part. On
the slopes below Bakirha, a town which belongs properly to the high ridge, there are
ruins of tombs of the elevated-sarcophagus type; but in the lower towns the only
remains of tombs are a few rock-hewn tombs and sarcophagi in the immediate vicinity
of the churches. Although the churches of this locality are unusually fine, and many
of the houses are of the better class, there are no monumental tombs, and it is pro-
bable that the inhabitants buried their dead in simple graves excavated in the earth.
W alls. It is important to say a word on the subject of the various kinds of
wall building employed in the construction of churches, houses, and shops in these
1 A.A.E.S. II, pp. 117, 170-180, 251-262.
3 Ibid. II, pp. 59, 61, 62, 63.
2 Ibid. II, pp. 81, 172.
4 Ibid. II, p. 109.