DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45605#0081
Burdj il-Kas — Kalota
315
vats in the immediate vicinity, and a number of huge cylindrical rollers. With the
wooden and iron fixtures, which undoubtedly accompanied them, missing, these stone
parts of the machinery are unintelligible.
87. BURDJ IL-KAS.
A tower on a hill near these ruins gives them this name. There is here a small
village inhabited by settled Turkmans. Hardly one complete ancient building is to be
found here; for the place was a small one even in antiquity. A church lintel broken
in several pieces was measured, and appears with inscription No. 1190 in III, B. 6.
It is interesting for the figure of a spread eagle in low relief carved within a canopy
also in low relief, at one end of the lintel. The canopy is round-arched, and is carried
on colonettes with spiral flutings. The inscription 1 is dated, May, 393 A. D. Another
lintel was discovered in place in a ruined private house. It bears a moulded trape-
zoidal doorcap with two inscriptions, one in Syriac, the other in Greek,2 and is dated
July 407 A. D. The ornamental discs at the ends of the lintel are devoid of Christian
symbolism. A drawing of this lintel is also published in Division III.
88. KALOTA.
This is a charming ruin, already presented in a photograph (Ill. 280) near the
beginning of this Part, situated at the northeastern foot of a truncated conical hill.
The town spreads out well over a fine situation, and is made extremely picturesque
by the height to which its ruined walls are preserved, as well as by the presence of
large trees which have found a place for their roots in the rock-hewn cellars of the
houses, and by shrubbery and vines which grow luxuriantly among the fallen walls and
columns. The place is entirely deserted. The buildings here which I have chosen for
publication are the two churches and a private house with unusual features; but these
represent only a small fraction of the buildings of more ordinary types which make up
the extensive ruins of Kalota. There is a ruined house of the common plan and style
with a Greek inscription 3 dated 386-7 A. D., and there are two other ordinary dwel-
lings with Syriac inscriptions 4 dated 543 and 545 A. D. respectively.
East Church: Date: Oct. 492 a. d.5 This chrurch is extraordinarily well preserved.
Its east end, its south wall, and its west facade are almost intact. A part of the wall
of the diaconicon, the north side wall, and all the interior columns and arches have
fallen, as have also the three distyle porches which protected its western and two
southern portals. Its plan (Ill. 349) is of the type most common in Northern Syria.
The nave had five bays, and the apse and side chambers had a straight east wall;
but the diaconicon projected to the north a little beyond the north line of the nave,
which is unusual. The south side chamber — the prothesis — opened upon the aisle
by an arch, the diaconicon had a doorway and communicated directly with the apse.
The west front is quite intact but for its distyle porch (Ill. 350), the only opening
in the ground floor, beside the main portal, is a window at the end of the south aisle.
This window is round-topped, and is completely framed in heavy mouldings in relief.
1 III, B. 6, inscr. 1190.
* IV, B. inscrs. 54, 55.
Ibid, inscr. 1189.
5 III, B. 6, inscr. 1192.
3 III, B. 6, inscr. 1191.
315
vats in the immediate vicinity, and a number of huge cylindrical rollers. With the
wooden and iron fixtures, which undoubtedly accompanied them, missing, these stone
parts of the machinery are unintelligible.
87. BURDJ IL-KAS.
A tower on a hill near these ruins gives them this name. There is here a small
village inhabited by settled Turkmans. Hardly one complete ancient building is to be
found here; for the place was a small one even in antiquity. A church lintel broken
in several pieces was measured, and appears with inscription No. 1190 in III, B. 6.
It is interesting for the figure of a spread eagle in low relief carved within a canopy
also in low relief, at one end of the lintel. The canopy is round-arched, and is carried
on colonettes with spiral flutings. The inscription 1 is dated, May, 393 A. D. Another
lintel was discovered in place in a ruined private house. It bears a moulded trape-
zoidal doorcap with two inscriptions, one in Syriac, the other in Greek,2 and is dated
July 407 A. D. The ornamental discs at the ends of the lintel are devoid of Christian
symbolism. A drawing of this lintel is also published in Division III.
88. KALOTA.
This is a charming ruin, already presented in a photograph (Ill. 280) near the
beginning of this Part, situated at the northeastern foot of a truncated conical hill.
The town spreads out well over a fine situation, and is made extremely picturesque
by the height to which its ruined walls are preserved, as well as by the presence of
large trees which have found a place for their roots in the rock-hewn cellars of the
houses, and by shrubbery and vines which grow luxuriantly among the fallen walls and
columns. The place is entirely deserted. The buildings here which I have chosen for
publication are the two churches and a private house with unusual features; but these
represent only a small fraction of the buildings of more ordinary types which make up
the extensive ruins of Kalota. There is a ruined house of the common plan and style
with a Greek inscription 3 dated 386-7 A. D., and there are two other ordinary dwel-
lings with Syriac inscriptions 4 dated 543 and 545 A. D. respectively.
East Church: Date: Oct. 492 a. d.5 This chrurch is extraordinarily well preserved.
Its east end, its south wall, and its west facade are almost intact. A part of the wall
of the diaconicon, the north side wall, and all the interior columns and arches have
fallen, as have also the three distyle porches which protected its western and two
southern portals. Its plan (Ill. 349) is of the type most common in Northern Syria.
The nave had five bays, and the apse and side chambers had a straight east wall;
but the diaconicon projected to the north a little beyond the north line of the nave,
which is unusual. The south side chamber — the prothesis — opened upon the aisle
by an arch, the diaconicon had a doorway and communicated directly with the apse.
The west front is quite intact but for its distyle porch (Ill. 350), the only opening
in the ground floor, beside the main portal, is a window at the end of the south aisle.
This window is round-topped, and is completely framed in heavy mouldings in relief.
1 III, B. 6, inscr. 1190.
* IV, B. inscrs. 54, 55.
Ibid, inscr. 1189.
5 III, B. 6, inscr. 1192.
3 III, B. 6, inscr. 1191.