DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45605#0038
Kalcat Simcan
283
on both sides. A photograph of the exterior of these apses will be found in Ill. 301,
other photographs of the exterior and interior of this part of the church appear on
pages 186 and 187 of the A. A. E. S. II; beautiful measured drawings of the exterior
and interior details of the apses form the subjects of Plates 143 and 148 in La Syrie
Centrale.
The restoration of the north facade, in Plate XXIV, was a simple task, with the
aid of M. de Vogue’s drawings; for this part of the edifice is remarkably well pre-
served, as Ill. 302 shows. The whole of the ground storey is still standing, together
with the pilasters at the sides of the quadruple window in the upper storey and the
bases of two of the three colonettes which divided the opening. In the remarkable
perspective shown in Plate 145 of La Syrie Centrale, which by the way should be
compared with Ill. 300, two of the colonettes of this window are shown as standing
with the architraves and two of the arches in place. Therefore only the gable end is
restored; for there is ample evidence for the two screen walls which are shown as
rising to a straight line at the clearstorey level at the ends of the aisles. These screen
walls, which appear to have had no cornice feature to crown them, and which seem
to have had no particular architectural reason for their existence, were reproduced in
the facade of the West Monastery at D6r Sim'an (Ill. 290), and probably in other
churches of the region which are less well preserved. The employment of pilasters at the
angles of this north facade is interesting as illustrating the revival of Classical motives,
and the doubling and playful use of the mouldings are striking examples of native taste.
The most interesting, perhaps, of the restorations is that entitled Elevation E—F,
which shows the south facade of the southern basilica where the principal entrance to
the great church stands, the outside walls of the octagonal court, and two of the
trapezoidal chapels which open out from the oblique sides of the octagon and the apses
which are attached to them, one of which, that on the right, is perfectly preserved,
the other is completely ruined. To the left is shown the exterior of the western half
of the eastern basilica with one of its. distyle porches restored. The evidence for the
restoration of the south facade with its arched porch is found chiefly in the existing
remains. M. de Vogue presents a view in elevation of this facade in its actual state,
and numerous photographs of it have been published, among which I may mention
that on page 184 of the A. A. E. S. II. It will be observed, in my restoration, that
only the gable end is conjectural; the colonettes which stand upon the buttresses on
either side of the middle arch, and which carried water spouts, are restored from their
bases which are in situ, and from the brackets above them which are still in place.
In the same way the colonnettes which divide the clearstorey windows into groups of
two, were restored from corbels in place above and below them. In comparing this
restoration with M. de Vogue’s drawing of the actual state, it will be noticed that the
side portals in my drawing are not centered upon the side arches of the narthex.
This irregularity in the restoration is the result of careful measurements which are
borne out by one of the photographs (Ill. 303) which shows the interior of this wall
with the side portal set well to one side of the end of the aisle, leaving room for a
window between it and the pier of the nave arcade. The same photograph shows the
only remaining bit of clearstorey wall with the upper and lower row of corbels con-
nected with the interior clearstorey colonnade. The outer walls of the octagon and of
the trapezoidal chapel with its apse, which appear on the right of the facade, are
283
on both sides. A photograph of the exterior of these apses will be found in Ill. 301,
other photographs of the exterior and interior of this part of the church appear on
pages 186 and 187 of the A. A. E. S. II; beautiful measured drawings of the exterior
and interior details of the apses form the subjects of Plates 143 and 148 in La Syrie
Centrale.
The restoration of the north facade, in Plate XXIV, was a simple task, with the
aid of M. de Vogue’s drawings; for this part of the edifice is remarkably well pre-
served, as Ill. 302 shows. The whole of the ground storey is still standing, together
with the pilasters at the sides of the quadruple window in the upper storey and the
bases of two of the three colonettes which divided the opening. In the remarkable
perspective shown in Plate 145 of La Syrie Centrale, which by the way should be
compared with Ill. 300, two of the colonettes of this window are shown as standing
with the architraves and two of the arches in place. Therefore only the gable end is
restored; for there is ample evidence for the two screen walls which are shown as
rising to a straight line at the clearstorey level at the ends of the aisles. These screen
walls, which appear to have had no cornice feature to crown them, and which seem
to have had no particular architectural reason for their existence, were reproduced in
the facade of the West Monastery at D6r Sim'an (Ill. 290), and probably in other
churches of the region which are less well preserved. The employment of pilasters at the
angles of this north facade is interesting as illustrating the revival of Classical motives,
and the doubling and playful use of the mouldings are striking examples of native taste.
The most interesting, perhaps, of the restorations is that entitled Elevation E—F,
which shows the south facade of the southern basilica where the principal entrance to
the great church stands, the outside walls of the octagonal court, and two of the
trapezoidal chapels which open out from the oblique sides of the octagon and the apses
which are attached to them, one of which, that on the right, is perfectly preserved,
the other is completely ruined. To the left is shown the exterior of the western half
of the eastern basilica with one of its. distyle porches restored. The evidence for the
restoration of the south facade with its arched porch is found chiefly in the existing
remains. M. de Vogue presents a view in elevation of this facade in its actual state,
and numerous photographs of it have been published, among which I may mention
that on page 184 of the A. A. E. S. II. It will be observed, in my restoration, that
only the gable end is conjectural; the colonettes which stand upon the buttresses on
either side of the middle arch, and which carried water spouts, are restored from their
bases which are in situ, and from the brackets above them which are still in place.
In the same way the colonnettes which divide the clearstorey windows into groups of
two, were restored from corbels in place above and below them. In comparing this
restoration with M. de Vogue’s drawing of the actual state, it will be noticed that the
side portals in my drawing are not centered upon the side arches of the narthex.
This irregularity in the restoration is the result of careful measurements which are
borne out by one of the photographs (Ill. 303) which shows the interior of this wall
with the side portal set well to one side of the end of the aisle, leaving room for a
window between it and the pier of the nave arcade. The same photograph shows the
only remaining bit of clearstorey wall with the upper and lower row of corbels con-
nected with the interior clearstorey colonnade. The outer walls of the octagon and of
the trapezoidal chapel with its apse, which appear on the right of the facade, are