DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45604#0021
2 24
Division II Section B Part 5
its ground plan; for it was of the plainest type and was probably early in date.
Chapel. The chapel is a building which may be dated, by comparison with
buildings the dates of which are known, between the years 500 and 550 A.D. Its
side walls are quite well preserved, and show the characteristic Syrian motives of
decoration that flourished in the first half of the sixth century. Its ground plan (Ill. 225)
is oblong, with a space at the east end dividend from the rest of the interior by an
arch, for a sanctuary, and with a side-chamber on the north of the sanctuary, which
was added after the rectangular chapel had been completed. There are two entrances
on the north side, which jwas the side more directly approachable from the town, and
one on the south. The west end was set into the hill-side, and there was no entrance
at that point, but a doorway was cut through to the chamber which was added on
the north of the sanctuary, and this chamber itself had a doorway on the west. The
photograph (Ill. 226) shows the treatment of the exterior, and Section A—B (Ill. 225)
gives an interior view. The exterior was divided into two storeys by a heavy string
moulding. The upper storey, having the effect of a clearstorey and containing eight
windows on each side, was about half the height of the lower which was unbroken
save by the three portals. The doorways were framed in richly wrought mouldings,
some of which were carved with barbs. The mouldings were broken by discs in the
middle of each lintel, and those of the eastern doorway on the north side were turned
up in spirals on either side of the threshold. This portal is crowned by a high ca-
vetto doorcap carved with plain erect acanthus leaves; the other has a simple torus
doorcap surmounted by a low cavetto. Both doorways have segmental lunettes above
them, adorned with incised mouldings. The string moulding is profiled in a fashion
common at the period, and the mouldings of the windows, rather heavy and in high
relief, were curved up in semicircles between the openings, and terminated in spiral loops,
all very characteristic of the region. The side chapel, or vestry, had two practicable
storeys, and may have been carried up for a third to form a sort of tower. It is provided
with a salient base moulding; but the mouldings of the narrow little window on the
ground floor, and of the coupled windows on the floor above, are executed in the
form of incised lines cut upon the stones which form the jambs and lintels of the windows.
Division II Section B Part 5
its ground plan; for it was of the plainest type and was probably early in date.
Chapel. The chapel is a building which may be dated, by comparison with
buildings the dates of which are known, between the years 500 and 550 A.D. Its
side walls are quite well preserved, and show the characteristic Syrian motives of
decoration that flourished in the first half of the sixth century. Its ground plan (Ill. 225)
is oblong, with a space at the east end dividend from the rest of the interior by an
arch, for a sanctuary, and with a side-chamber on the north of the sanctuary, which
was added after the rectangular chapel had been completed. There are two entrances
on the north side, which jwas the side more directly approachable from the town, and
one on the south. The west end was set into the hill-side, and there was no entrance
at that point, but a doorway was cut through to the chamber which was added on
the north of the sanctuary, and this chamber itself had a doorway on the west. The
photograph (Ill. 226) shows the treatment of the exterior, and Section A—B (Ill. 225)
gives an interior view. The exterior was divided into two storeys by a heavy string
moulding. The upper storey, having the effect of a clearstorey and containing eight
windows on each side, was about half the height of the lower which was unbroken
save by the three portals. The doorways were framed in richly wrought mouldings,
some of which were carved with barbs. The mouldings were broken by discs in the
middle of each lintel, and those of the eastern doorway on the north side were turned
up in spirals on either side of the threshold. This portal is crowned by a high ca-
vetto doorcap carved with plain erect acanthus leaves; the other has a simple torus
doorcap surmounted by a low cavetto. Both doorways have segmental lunettes above
them, adorned with incised mouldings. The string moulding is profiled in a fashion
common at the period, and the mouldings of the windows, rather heavy and in high
relief, were curved up in semicircles between the openings, and terminated in spiral loops,
all very characteristic of the region. The side chapel, or vestry, had two practicable
storeys, and may have been carried up for a third to form a sort of tower. It is provided
with a salient base moulding; but the mouldings of the narrow little window on the
ground floor, and of the coupled windows on the floor above, are executed in the
form of incised lines cut upon the stones which form the jambs and lintels of the windows.