DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45605#0010
264
Division II Section B Part 6
among the ancient inhabitants. Judging by the number of dated houses, the early
fifth century would seem to have been the period of greatest building activity in the
Djebel Simcan. A majority of the ruined towns are so planned that there are closely
set groups of houses and shops near the centre of each town, large residences with
more space about them surrounding these, or forming a quarter by themselves at one
side; and detached villas are found on the outskirts of some of them. The number
of residential buildings published herewith gives no indication of the great body of
domestic buildings that are still well preserved in these towns.
The unequal distribution of tombs of monumental character throughout the various
districts into which we have divided Northern Syria is a matter which has been discussed
earlier in these publications 1, and a problem for which there seems to be no satisfactory
solution. Here in the Djebel SinTan we find a single monumental tomb — a fine
specimen of the pyramid elevated on arches —, at Brad, belonging to the second or third
century. In one of the greater monasteries of the region there is a sort of built
campo santo, a large structure for the burial of the dead, and in or near several of the
churches there are stone sarcophagi which were probably the tombs of the benefactors
of those churches, or of the more important clergy. But beyond the early monumental
tomb structure at Brad and the tombs directly connected with monasteries and churches
there are no tombs in the whole district of the Djebel SinTan, saving a small number
of rock-hewn sepulchres of the simplest variety, by no means sufficient numerically to
represent the nekropoles of the many towns which were thriving here between the first
and the seventh centuries. One must therefore conclude that the burials of rich and
poor alike ordinarily were made in simple graves excavated in the soil, and unmarked
by stelae or other graven stones; for the number of funeral inscriptions is amazingly
small in this locality in comparison with that of inscriptions of this class which are
found in other districts of Syria, notably in the South where the funerary inscriptions
far outnumber every other class.
General survey of the ruins. More than half of the twentyfive ruins of the
Djebel SinTan were towns above the average in size among the hill-towns of Northern
Syria. Brad was a small city, containing a church which is hardly second to any in
all Syria, another church of medium dimensions, a large undivided chapel, a public
bath, and other ruins of a civic character. Its ruins of shops and private houses cover
a broad area. Burdj Hedar boasted of two basilical churches and two chapels, and its
ruins of domestic architecture are very extensive. Kalota contains the remains of three
basilicas and a small chapel, and widely scattered ruins of shops and houses. The ruins
of Shfekh Sleman cover more ground than any of the others, but the buildings were
not so densely placed; there were at least three basilicas here, and many private
residences of the better class. Basufan contained two large churches, Kefr Nabu a
large church and a chapel, an extensive inn and many residential buildings of all
classes. Kharab Shems, Bashamra, Fafirtin, Batfita and Simkhar each had its fine old
basilical church, its closely set group of shops and its outlying villas of the more modest
type. The other ruins are less extensive, but each of them is more than a detached
monastery or tower, and, with its chapel and watch-tower, and its group of residences,
would have ranked as a village of fair size. The area of the entire region, if evenly
1 II, B. 4, p. 156.
Division II Section B Part 6
among the ancient inhabitants. Judging by the number of dated houses, the early
fifth century would seem to have been the period of greatest building activity in the
Djebel Simcan. A majority of the ruined towns are so planned that there are closely
set groups of houses and shops near the centre of each town, large residences with
more space about them surrounding these, or forming a quarter by themselves at one
side; and detached villas are found on the outskirts of some of them. The number
of residential buildings published herewith gives no indication of the great body of
domestic buildings that are still well preserved in these towns.
The unequal distribution of tombs of monumental character throughout the various
districts into which we have divided Northern Syria is a matter which has been discussed
earlier in these publications 1, and a problem for which there seems to be no satisfactory
solution. Here in the Djebel SinTan we find a single monumental tomb — a fine
specimen of the pyramid elevated on arches —, at Brad, belonging to the second or third
century. In one of the greater monasteries of the region there is a sort of built
campo santo, a large structure for the burial of the dead, and in or near several of the
churches there are stone sarcophagi which were probably the tombs of the benefactors
of those churches, or of the more important clergy. But beyond the early monumental
tomb structure at Brad and the tombs directly connected with monasteries and churches
there are no tombs in the whole district of the Djebel SinTan, saving a small number
of rock-hewn sepulchres of the simplest variety, by no means sufficient numerically to
represent the nekropoles of the many towns which were thriving here between the first
and the seventh centuries. One must therefore conclude that the burials of rich and
poor alike ordinarily were made in simple graves excavated in the soil, and unmarked
by stelae or other graven stones; for the number of funeral inscriptions is amazingly
small in this locality in comparison with that of inscriptions of this class which are
found in other districts of Syria, notably in the South where the funerary inscriptions
far outnumber every other class.
General survey of the ruins. More than half of the twentyfive ruins of the
Djebel SinTan were towns above the average in size among the hill-towns of Northern
Syria. Brad was a small city, containing a church which is hardly second to any in
all Syria, another church of medium dimensions, a large undivided chapel, a public
bath, and other ruins of a civic character. Its ruins of shops and private houses cover
a broad area. Burdj Hedar boasted of two basilical churches and two chapels, and its
ruins of domestic architecture are very extensive. Kalota contains the remains of three
basilicas and a small chapel, and widely scattered ruins of shops and houses. The ruins
of Shfekh Sleman cover more ground than any of the others, but the buildings were
not so densely placed; there were at least three basilicas here, and many private
residences of the better class. Basufan contained two large churches, Kefr Nabu a
large church and a chapel, an extensive inn and many residential buildings of all
classes. Kharab Shems, Bashamra, Fafirtin, Batfita and Simkhar each had its fine old
basilical church, its closely set group of shops and its outlying villas of the more modest
type. The other ruins are less extensive, but each of them is more than a detached
monastery or tower, and, with its chapel and watch-tower, and its group of residences,
would have ranked as a village of fair size. The area of the entire region, if evenly
1 II, B. 4, p. 156.