Early Churches in Syria

Citation preview

\ PRINCETON

MONOGRAPHS

IN

ART

AND

ARCHAEOLOGY

CHURCHES

EARLY

SYRIA

IN FOURTH

, TO SEVENTH

CENTURIES

BY

I-lOW ARD

CROSBY

BUTLER

Edited and Completed BY

E.

BALDWIN

SMITH

PART ONE

History

~

{

I PUBLISHED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PRINCETON

OF ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY UNIVERSITY

\

\

• •

\

{

PREF ACE HE material

T

"Publications

by tlte Century

used tn tlte prepa1'ation of of the American

tltis volume

Archaeological

printed by tlte Late E. indirect inspiration

University

J.

Brill

Expeditions

taee», tn. large part, from tlte

Expedition to Syria in 1899-

Company of New York and tlte Princeton

ations of the Princeton

1S

University

I

900," 1 puNislted

Press, and f1'01}' tlte "Public-

to Syria in 19°4, 19°5, and 1909," 2 wkz"clttoere

at Leiden. Tlte 01'iginal inspiration' of the above volumes, and tlte

of tlus book, wen drawn from

La Syrie Centrale,

the morutmerua]

tlte late 1Iifarqnis de Vogiii, tlte discoverer of tl'e long lost arc/zitecture of Syria, of plates, pnblislted in 1867, Ita,'e cont1'ibuted tlte basis of information and illust1'ations, and even for that lias been publislted for was director

wltose volumes

for imp01'ta1zt references

wlwle elzapters, in eve1'y historical study of Clwistian arcltiteeture

more tluu: a gmeration.

The field notes of tlze present zorite1', who

of the Americas: and Princeton Expeditions, furnisk

whielz /ias neuer before found

work of

its way to publication.

a certain amount of material

Not one of tlte great n",nbe1' of explol'ers

who Itave visited Soutltern S:yria, or O1Ze of tlze small number wlto Itave explo"ed No"tlzern Syria, before 01' since the day of 111. de Vogiii, has publislted a1Zything of real importance to the study of tlte elwrelles witlt tlte exception of a few

pltotogr-aphs. Only tlte observations of Professor

St1'zygowski upon the elturc/t at .((a~,' Ibn T/Vardan, aud those based upon plwtograplts

takezz by

Baron von Oppenlteim, lzave made notewortlty additions to our knowledge of tlte churc/t arclutecture of this great

country, No attempt lias beezz made to include tlte elturcltes of the Holy Land in

tltis uoiume , tltey lie outside tlte scope of tltis work, and have li&tle in C011l17l0n witlz t1'ans-Jordan a1'chitect,we. No apolog)1 whatever is required for tlte work of M. de Vogiii. In the great mass of mate1'ial published

in ltis plates and text, only eigltteen c/zurcltes are described, six from

and twelve from

N01'tlte1'n S)wia,

Southern SY"ia,

and these were examples taken f1'om two somewhat 1'estricted

localities,. but tlte deductions drawn by later writers from

ltis presentations

of tlzis small ml1l,ber

of examples have been ojten mistaken and 1JZisle.zding,.It has been stated repeatedly, f01' instance, tltat tlte ckurches of Syria present

little varieI:J' in their g"02t1td plazzs i aud certain forms of

cI"'rcltes appelwing iu 1/11. de Vogiid's plates Itave been described as typical of Syrian while, as a matter of fact, 1'esulti1Zgfrom monuments,

tliey are almost unzque. TI,ese misleading

statements

architecture, are accidents

the observatio1Z of too small a body oj documents drawn from a selected g,'OttP of

As. tlte discove",'es of 1

j)IJ.

Princetoll

de Vogiii are 1mtltzplied by 1/I0re exteiided exploration, tlte U1liVe1'sity P1'esS.

Leitlell, Brill.

Preface

VI

. anion« tlte most szg'nificant in all Syria. Now tltat two la1'ge buildings witick Ite publislted remazti b tracts il! emtral S)wia Itave been q1tite tlzorougl,ly examined, and a tltird Itas been added to our ',f,

knowledge, tl/ouglt less completely explore,d we are zn fossess

ion 01'plans and measurements and 'j

photograplts 01 a large body of monunsents, over two Imndred elturches in all, from whiel, generalizations salely may be made. The A mertcati

Expedition

set out to explore as great an area as

possible i tluir publicatiol!s were a general report on the 1JZ01t1t7Jtmts 01 the whole region and an attempt to classify tlte nzonumentsgeograpltically and elzronologically. Eve1t with the azd 01 a large body olmo1l1,ments, tlte dassifications depending npol! dated monuruents,

01 tltis pltblication, especially those based

01'

elzronology, and

have oeen shou»: to be imperlect by rnor:« exlta1tstive explorations

and by tlte discoveryor more dated monuments. The» too, certazss deductions drawn frou: the material in Itand, e.g. dednctions as to tlte employment 01 different differmt

schemes 01 p1'oportion in buildings

centuries, wltitlt seemed well lonnded, and were set forti:

01

in the publications, Itave been

lonnd to be less trnstwortky in tlte ligltt 01 more extensive knowledge. The aim 01 the Princeton expeditions was to take up important sites, and groups 01 less important sites, and to study them more m detail, in order to present a great body 01 monuments

in measured plans and. sections,

in scale d,'awings 01 details, and, wltenever possible, in restorations. In this work many entirely unknown buildings are pubtislted. A larg'e number 01 the illmtrations

in the pnsent

)

volume are

reproduced from tlte Princeton publications. It is tlte pnrpose 01 tlte pnsent the areltitecl1wal parts

book to extract Irom

tlte gnat

mass 01 material offered in

01 the several publications named above, tlte informatio»: relating to the

subject 01 ecciesiasticai anltiteclzwe, and to arrange it, in condensed forne, lor and tlte pnblic. For convenience, tlte volume is divided into two Parts,

the use of students

one Ilistorical, tlte otlter

analytical. ht tlte 10rm81', tlte origin, growtlt, and development 01 elmrclt a1'eltitecture in Syria are traced, witlt prelimina,y

observations upon geography,

Itz'story, and the ancient inhabitants.

In tlte latter, tlte areltitecture 01 the clmrc!tes is discussed as a wkole, without particular relerence to cltronology, and Sltelt subjects as construction, plans, superstructures, accessories and ornamental details a,'e taken up separately. In spile 01 the imparlance 01 its ancienI 17tOnuments,tittle Itas been known, and consequently little ltas been wniten,

aboul lite dese1't and semi-desert parts 01 Syria in wltich a large majority

01 tltese molt1tmenlsare to be 100md. It has bem difficult lor studmls and otlter 1'ead81'sto place geograjJltically many 01 lite localities zn wltielt are situated buildings that have bem pubtislted and wlticlt are reler1'ed to, Irom time to time, in books on arcltiteclzwal subjects. For that reason, tltere lollows a b,'iel description 01 tlte country as it is today. Alter Itistorical notes tltat may' be uselul in accounting lor

tl,is will be lound some

the origin and the trend 01 the development

01 a1'eltitecturc,and, finally, a lew observations are added in wltielt an attempt Itas been made to

\

Preface

VII

gzve a picture of lite people, 01'peoples, who i1tltabited these regzons and toere tlte originators 0/ these important native styles of bndding. In

the following c!tapte1's, tIle pnblislted references to all the buildings mentioned are given

in foot notes for tlte use 0/ readers wlto desire f1wtlter information about any particular ing. In

these notes S.C. is nsed to denote La Syrie Centrale

Publications

of 1/1. de Vogiii. A. signifies the

of Ihe American .expedition, and P. thoss of tlte Princeton Expeditions. An effort

Itas been made to present all gronnd plans I

budd-

1

according to a single scale, the scale of .25 em. =

»s, or 4 metres to tlte centimeter. Tltis has bem applied to all tIle plalls, except those of the

la1'get' monasteries, in wltich cases tlte scale is noted in the drawings, as eithe«

I

01' 2 mdlimetres

to tlte metre. HOWARD

j

BUTLER

j

I

\

CROSBY

FOREWORD N presenting

I

tlus book to tlte public some explauation must be given for. tlte lengtlt of time

which has elapsed between the deatlt of Howard

Crosby Butler and its publzcatzon, and for Ius

associate's pa1't in the work. Howard

ButlC1',from

the time wlten he l'etztrlted from Itis first

to publish. a Itistory of church architecture in Syria. wrote the fint

expedition, always intended

"'Vitlt tltis in mind, as early as

191 I,

Ite

dl'aft of tlte analyses of this areltitecture, using the Iltamtscript fOI' ten yean as

tlte basis of Itis lectures in a graduate course

011

Syrian arcltitedzwe. Every g'raduate student in

the Department of Art and Areltaeology at Princeton dnring those )Iears will,'e,ltember aud the violet-inked manuscript

the lectures

to wlticlt Ite referred from time to time in his development of an

Early Christia» style of architecltwe in Syria. As the years passed and he completed his official publication of the Princeton expeditions to Syria, Ite spoke f,'equently to the p,'esent writer study for

publzcation, but by that time he was deeply immersed in' Classical problems an'sing

out of his excavations at Sardis . .hz

I J

of tlte necessity of rewriting and completing tltis

]92 I,

h.owever, the year before his final a"d fatal trip to

Sardis, he 2t1Zdertookthe rezewiting. For this purpose he restudied the different elmrcltes, worked up more cal'efully the always ba.flling question of elzronology,and wrote a detailed description and discussio« of eacl: clt1Irclt. Under the pressure of tltat last year Ite was 1I0t able to finish and so, combining Itis old analysis of

19 I 1

the work,

witlt Itis still 2t1Zfinislteddescription of the mOlt11lltmts,

he sent tlte manuscript to Itis Hoiland printer to get a preliminary

estimate of the cost of public-

atzim before completing the work Oil /tis return from Sardis. A t the time of his suddm

death in Paris

he was on Itis way to Holland

book with tlte printC1' and get the manuscript. It was at that moment, so unfortunate

to discuss the not only for

the writing

of tltis book, but also for all the other work whielt he had in Itand, that delay began.

Two years

elapsed before Izis affairs in Princeton

were rougltly straiglttemd

out and tlte lost

manltScript traced to Holland. On tlte final retur»: of tlze manuscript it seemed to be tlte duty and pleasure of tlte presmt writer to Ca1'ry out his friend's

desires and see that Itis book was published. He Itad studied

witlt Professor Butler, Itelped Itim witlz Itis otlter books, and seemed tlte one best fitted to rework tlte old ana!;'sis as Howard Butler intended to do, filling up tlte gaps tltat Itad been left iu tlte manuscript. In tlte meantime, Iwwever, European

scholars and explorers Itad been working Ztl

the Syrian field, and the new material Ilad to be incorpol'ated into tlte Imfinislted book. Here tlte delicacy of tlte responsibility of tlte pl'esent wI'iter began. He wislted to present

Z1Z

Foreword

x

evel')' respect the opinion and spirit

LT 0/,I' 17. oward

Bt'u ser; and at the same time make the book as

up-to·date as possible. Feelz;'g that EIoward Butler's ideas, even if they did not always ag'l'ee wdh the most recent Elwopean theories, were valuable because of his experience and rare judgement, the present writer

has l1'ied to d,'aw a very fine

ejistz"nctionin I,is rewriting and completioli

between the theories and ideas wltich Howard Butler

would support, zuere Ite ahve today, and

those that he lvoTtld question. Wlwle eltapters, therefore, I,ave bem boldly rewritten, amplified wt

down, and pe7'!taps changed in detaz"!or form,

but only whm it was felt

or

that every chang'e

and addition would receive his approval. In those cases where the,'e seemed to be any doubt, any possible claslt between the experienced Butter defending

Itis statements agaiust a difference

of

opiniolt, the changes ltave been brought down to the foot notes and tlte dijfermces of opinion made evident.

The work, tlun, has consisted of adding to the first pm-t a descnj>tion of new cltTwches

wltzeh have appeared in foreign P'lblications and .finislting a few wltielt /ze Itad left half written; in the secondpart

d has necessitated a very large rewriting

and ,'ewo,'king along tlte lines tltat

Howa,-d Butler Itimself inteuded. Credi: in tlte notes, I beheve, has been given

to tl,e writings of the dz/fel-ent European

scholars whose works Itave helped to complete the book. Howard Butler full

credit to the Mal-qTtis de Vogiii for

his initial

in his Ownpl'eface pa)IS

II.

work in the S)wian field. I myself do not III.

need to mention my indebtedness to tlte wn'tings of Dr. Josef SI1'zygowski, witl, wlwse theories I can not alwaysagree, but for whoseconl1'ib'ltion to tltefield of Clwistian art tltwe must always beadmiration and indebtedness.Ii". Gliick's Del' Breit,"nd-langha"sba"

in Syrien (1916)

completion of this book, as has H. W, Beyer's Del' Syrische Kirchen ball (1925),

a book based almost

elttil-d), u/Jon tlte publications of Howard Bulle,'. The g1-eatest assistance iu tlte preparation of the book came frollt

the Princeton associates

of .EIoward Butler, colleagnes who were witl, I,im on his expeditious to S)wia. Pl'ofesso,' H/. .Ii. Prentice Itelped to rew",'te the chapters 10hich deal witlt. the inscnj>t£ons and azded generousl)1 by reading pads

of the proof and making valuable s'lggestz"ous. Pl'ofessol' Eno Littmann,

now of

tlte Universities of Tiibingen and Berlin, gave Itts assistance in the matter of A,-aMc and Syriac names, alld wdlt Professor David Magie helped wlten possible translahons of the inscriptions required expert verification. Hence ill closing tltis d~I1iCltltexplanat£on tlte w,'iter of tltis fo,-eword asks the indulgence of all the fn'euds

and admirers of Howard Butler.

IV.

has p,'oved helpf'll in tlte

Tlte writer feels his l-esponsibihty, since

througit Itim must appear jor the last tz'me the mind and personality of his friend

E.

and teacher.

BALDWIN

SMITH

J

V ..

TABLE

OF CONTENTS PART

I

HISTORY

•.

J

SYRIA

AND ITS

PEOPLE

3

II.

THE

CHURCHES

OF

THE

FOURTH

III.

THE

CHURCHES

OF

THE

FIFTH

IV.

THE

MONASTERIES

V.

THE

CHURCHES

OF

THE

SIXTH

CENTURY

CENTURY

CENTURY

12

41

"3

LIST

OF ILLUSTRATIONS PART ONE

1.

General

View ilt tlte Djebel

./:Iaura1t, Ruins of

2.

General

View

Baris/tii,

3.

Gl!lleral

View in tile Djebel

4.

A.

5.

Bosra, Pagan

6.

A.

Is-Sanamiu, A.D.

7.

A.

llanau)(lt,

8.

Jranawat,

9.

Shale/pii, Basilica, Plan

10. I

r.

'til-

tile Djebel

Sim'an,

Ruins of

B.

Der SlIledj, Pagan Building

Temple Plan.

13

J{allawat,

B.

Stem, Temple Plan

14

TemjJle of Zeus, PIau

15

B.

16

Sarayii, Pta»

Umut idj-Dji1llat,

7

14

Sarayif, Plan

Basilica,

7

Simk/ur-r

Basilica, Piau, 192,

5

Ruins of Dauwar

Sitafr!iii, "Kaisariyeh" [after de VogiiJ).

Sitalf/fii,

Taf(tli

16

Seaio»

17

C/tlwclt of Ju#anos,

Plan and Sections

18

12.

"Ane, C/mrdt,

13.

De,. il-Kahf,

14.

U1Jt1Jt idj-Dji1Jl/U, C/l1wc/t of 11£asec!ws, Piau, and Sections

IS.

Dcwtit

16.

Umm idj-Djiutrtt,

17.

Tafflii, Clsurcl), Plan, [after de Vogilt)

18.

Taf{tii,

19.

Nimreli, Clnircti, Interim' iooking vVest

23

20.

Nt'mrelt,

24

21.

Biilllplisii, Nortlt

Plan

20

Clmrell ill Fortress, Plan

and Section

il-'Al:yii, Clmrcll, Plan East Clmrc!t,

C!tlwcll, Interior

22. Sen/jilla,

20

21

PIau and Section

looking

20

21

22

Nortlnuest

23

CIlll1'elt, Plan and Sections ClllWelt, Piau

26

Clmrelt, Piau

26

23. jJ1idjleyyii, ClUWell,P ian

27

24. Ruwe!tii, South Chnrch, West Facade

28

25.

Ruwe!.ta, Soutlt CIt/welt, Interior looking Southeast

28

26.

Rnwe~tii, Sontli Cll1welz, Plan

29

27. Silllkltar, Church and Cltapel, Piau

29

28. Silllkl,a,-, Cluwch at left aud Chapel at right

30

29.

Burdj

30

30.

Kharab

Slums,

Clmrelt, E~1:terio1' from

31.

Kltarab

Slums,

Clmrc/t, Plan

.fledar,

West Clturclt,

Exterior

front

the Southwest

tlte Northwest

and Sections

31 32

32. Fiiji,'ttll, Clmrell, Plan aud SectiOll, Date: A.D. 372

33

33.

B,-ad, Cathedral, Plall

35

34.

Brad,"

36

Catltedral", West Fa,ade

---

Early Churches in Syria

XIV 35.

Kllirbit

Ijfiss,

CIl1wclt, Interior looking

toward

Apse

36.

Khirbit

!fass,

Cll1wclt, Plait

37.

Kltirbil

!fass,

CIl1l1'clt, fallm

38.

Zebed, Basilica,

39.

I'djaz,

40.

Lubben,

4r,

Unuu £dj".Djimlrl, Southeast

42.

Unuu £dj-Djimfil,

43.

il-Ullllii'lyelt,

44.

U1Il1JtidiDjilllat,

45.

Um»: is-Surao,

46.

Biibis/fii, East

47·

J(scdjbdl,

48.

Da,' IfJla, Cll1wclt of St. Paul and Moses,

Date: 418 A.D.

51

49·

Dar ~ltiiJ C/l1Wc/l of St. Paul and ll([oses, Date: 418 A.D.

52

Capitals

Pla1l

"CIl1wclt of lite Holy Apostles", C/l1lrc/l,

Plan and Details

PlaIL and Sections

Sontlnuest

Cltllrclt NO.5,

and Sections

43

Plan and Sections

44

CIl1l1'c!t, Piau Ctiurc»,

45

Plan

Klaudianos

46

Plait and Sections

Clturcll,

Cltllrch of 55. Sergios

and Bacchos, Plan

and Section, Date:

5°· Da,' JKiti'i, Clwrclt of St. Pant and Moses, Doorway Kasr

C/wrclt of Couuent, Lintel

53.

¥a.p' Ib/isft,

54·

SMidt Slemau, CIl1wclt of St. Mary,

55·

SMidt SleJllau,

Clmrclt

of St. Mar»,

56.

SMkIt Slcmcm,

CIUl1'C!t

of St.

57.

Serdjiblelt,

58.

Bnrdj

East

Clwrtlt,

Interior

looking

59.

DC" S£IJ/fm, Norits

Cluwtlt,

Exterior

from

60.

j1fshabbak, Clmrc/t,

Plait

61.

lVlsltabbak, Clm.rclt, Interior

62.

/(Itirbit

63.

Delila (North],

64.

Btirsit,

65.

Del' SambI!, Clmrch,

66.

DcI' Sambil, fallen

67.

Djer/utelt,

68.

Kalatii,

East C/mrc/l,

69·

I(alotii,

East

CItll1~c1t, 1l1teri01' looking

70.

}(alota,

East

Clmrclt,

71.

Ba·flyan,

72.

Fidrelt,

73·

J[atb Lauze/t,

74·

l{.alb Law;elt, CIl1l1'c!t, Exterior

interior

looldllg East

57

West Facade

58

Plan

59 60

Plan and Sections East

61

62

Southeast

62 looking East

Church, 473/4 A.D.,

Clmrc/t,

ell/welt,

56

Plan and Section

jJ{a17,

53

55

52.

il-Ktiatto,

Wall

on side. Portal

C/l1Wc/l of Convent, Iiuerior

Hidar,

Sout/:

54

Kasr it·Bellat,

Cluwclt,

zn

looking East

5 r.

l,Vest Clmrclt,

47

5°

Cll7Irc/l, Date: A.D. 414

it·Bella!,

489

49

CImrclt, Plait

East

A.D.

63 Baptistery,

532/3 A.D.

Section

64 65

Plan

Clwrclt,

Plan Capitals

Plan

ill Ruins

66

and Rest01'ation

66

Plan, Date: 492 A.D.

Extf1'ior from

CI"II"c/t of St. PllO&aS,PIau

68

tlte Soutlt

68

and Delail, Date:

CIt?wc!t and Baptiste?')' Clmrc!t,

67

Soutlteast

491/2 A.D.

69

7°

11lterio1' looking

Soutlttast

f?'O"lllEast

71 73

List of Illustrations

xv

75·

I[alb Lausels, Clt1trcll,Exterior from tlte Soiatnues»

73

76.

Serdjible/I, Cliapel

75

77· Bliualt.j"", Cllapc/, Plait and restored Section

76

78.

Srir,

76

79·

Nuriyelt,

80.

Kpr,

SI.

Rb/!'alt, Cltapel, Pta»

82.

Zebed,

83·

Zebed, East Clwrcll, Exterior from ttte Sontll

79

84·

Zebed, East Clmn/l, Plait

78

85·

lI([a'ratii,

86.

it-Anderin,

87·

il-Anderin, "Chnrcl; of the Hot:)! Trinity", PIau

8r

88.

il-Anderiu, Churcl: NO.7

88

89·

UlIl1Jl, il-Jr.u!{ell,

Front

86

90.

Uus»: is-Surao, illonastoJ' and Clwrclt of 55. Ser gios and Bacchos, Section, Date: 489 A.D.

87

9I.

id-Di», lIfollastery

88

92.

Same/t, lIlonastery of St. George, Date: 624/5 A.D.

89

93·

il-Uber,

Piau, Section,

90

94·

Del' in-Nasrsn),

Cltapel, Plan

76

Cltapel, Piau

77

Cltapel, Plan

East

77

CIl1t1'c!t,Interior

79

looking East

80

Clt1l1'cJt, Platt

Mouastery, Piau and

Alouas/e)')"

95· il-Klin:s,

8r

SOlitil, Churclt. Exterior froui ttie Soutlt

fiVes!

Lintel

Plan

91

Convent, Plan

9'

96.

Jra{r it-Benat,

Convent, Plan

97·

Kasr il-Bellat,

Couuent, .lV01'tlt Building,

98.

Del'

Ternuinin, Monastery, Plan of Pandocheion and Church, (after

99·

Del'

r-«

92 Exterior from

tlte Sontti

94 de Vogiie)

96

'Adelt, Convent, Plall

100.

I[al'at Si1lt'att, Couuent, and Clt7t7'cllof St. Simeon Stylites, Plan (after de Vogiie)

ror.

l{ai'at

Sill/att, Clt7wcll0./ St. Simeon Stylites, Narthex of Sontti Basilica

102.

¥al'at

Sz"m'lm, C/mrclt of St. Simeon Stylites,

103·

1[.al'at

Sz"m'all, C/mrclt

Base

95

of

St.

Simeon

E~,;terz"or from

Stylz'tes,

99 101

tlte Sout/teast

s/w'UJing Nortlt

side

of

101

Octagon and

,~oc/e~/tewn

of St. Simeon's Pilla?'

103

104.

l{al'at Sim'a1l, Clmrc!1of St. Sime01l Stylites, Exterior f"om tlte East

103

r05·

Del' Si11l..call, West lVlouastery

104

106.

Dey Sim'ctIl, I¥est ilIlollaste1)/, Elltrance to Campo Santo

106

107.

Db~Sim'cm,

lOS.

Del' Sim'alt, SOl/tlz 1J1ouaster)'

109.

Dh- Sill/au, Soutlt 1J1"ouaste1'y, View from

110.

Del' Silll'cm, G1'eat Palldoc!teiOu,

I I I.

Bl'ad, Cottvettt S. W. of Town, Plan

109

IlZ.

De,-

Nawa, C01l'i.lent, PLau, Date:

110

West ill/ouaster)', Exterior

of Cilurcll from

tile Soutlt

106 107

tile West

108

Virdl f1'om Southeast

108

599 A.D.

"3' i,.-RIII,taiyelt, Grollp of Cltnrcltes, Dated: 5,29130, 556/7, 464/5 A.D.

][1

I J

Early Churches

XVI

Syria

In

lI6 114-A.

Umm id.Dj£mal,

114-B.

Um711idj-Dji1llal,

West CI",rc!" Facade from

114'C,

Uuun ;"dj.Djimal,

111est C/mrcll,

5.

II

lI6.

J.. Vest

C/lltrclt, Plan

117 tlte West I

View from

17

tlte Soutt: lIS

Uwm idj-Djimal, C/mrcll of Nuweriallos,

Plan and Sections lI9

Bosrii, Clt1Ird, NO.4,

Plan lI9

J7.

Bosrii,

Clmrclt

1 18.

Siuui],

ClIlt1'd', P ian

119.

tl-cll.rim, Church,

IZO.

ii- UbPr, Cltapet,

12 I.

Db- idj.Djuwcniz, Clmrc!t, Plan

12Z.

Zor'nl«, Clmrcl'

I

and Sections

No,

Plan

I,

[[9 120

Plan IZO Plait and Section 1Z1

of St. George, Plait,

Date:

123-A.

Zor'nl«, C/l1trcll

IZ3-B.

Zor'alt, Clsurcl: of St. George, Exterior

of St. George. Interior

1Z4.

Bosrii, Catltedral,

Date: 5'z A.D.,

5.

Bo~ra, Cathedral,

Sections, Restoration

[2

]22

5' 5 A.D.

3

12

looking Northeast from

123

the East

IZ4

PIa"

126

[z8

126.

DeY Simcall,

127.

Dlr Setii, Cilurcll,

Piau

128.

Dey Seta, Cilurc/t,

Exterior

129.

Del"

130.

B"rda/fl'i, South. CI"'re/', Plan

13°

Baulptsa.

'3°

I

3 I.

sus,

C/lurc/l

Churclt

Soutt:

of JIVest Monastery,

Facade from

slwwillg

Portal

s/toUJing Capitals

133.

"Arshiu, Cliurch,

[34-

ljass,

135.

!flrss, Soutlt CIt1l1'c!t, Interior

136.

8ass,

137.

Bii/fir!lii,

r 38.

Ktiirbis Hasan,

CIt1/.1'clt,Plan

139.

J(ltirbit

/:lasan,

Clturclt, E:i:terior from

140.

Dettes,

rlVest Cltttrclt,

141.

De{tes, East

14Z.

Dar If,£tii, CIt1we/' of St. Sergios,

143.

Da1' !{ita, IIC/turclt of tlte Trinity",

144.

KsMjbell,

145.

Bii/fir!'ii, East

Clutre/', 546 A.D.,

146.

Bii/fir!lii. East

Clutrclt, Fa,ade from

147.

Kili"bit

Clmrcl"

148.

Be{tJ'0' Clnwc!t, Exterior

149.

Be!,)'ij, Clt1wc!" Plan (after

SO.

and

Windoui

in Soutlt

Walt

Cltlt1'e/', Capital (after

13°

de Vogi")

131

of Apse

13 [

CIt1wc!" PIa"

Sonth: CIt7lrc!t, Exterior

looking

Southeast

132

from.

tlte Soutli

132

West CI"'rclt, 5°1 A.D.,

Cluwc!t,

Plan

133

and Elevation

[34 the Soutlt

135

Plan Portal

134 in Sout/t

I .., .-

r;Valt

J)

537 altd 567 A.D.,

Plan

Plan

Betti'!", Clmrclt,

Plau

137

136 Plan,

SectiOl's a"d Details

tlte West

Plan and Elevation, from

and Sections

136

West Cllurclt, Plan

Tedn.

1Z9 IZ9

C/mrc!t, Plan

Biin!p1sii, Sontl:

t

fiVes!

in Ruins

13z.

So"tl,

tlte

128

Exterior

/

tile East

de Vogilt)

585 A.D.

138 14° 139 14° 141 141

•

List of Illustrations

XVlI

'S r ,

s-s«,

1\2.

Djuwiilliyelt,

I53·

Slteklt

Slem!""

Cll1l1'clt, 602 A.D., Plan and Sections

144

'54·

Sitekit

Slem!m,

Cliurcli, Interior

143

155·

Ru'WNti"i, "Bizzos elml'c/t",

I56.

Ruwe{la, "Biseos

C/wn;/t', , Restorations

'46

157·

Burdj

C/tapel, Plall alld Elevations

147

158 .

Easr

'59·

Blt1,dj

I60.

Surlpmtyii,

16 r.

KefI'

162.

illfidjleyyii,

163.

De{"s,

164.

Dih' Seta, Bnptistery

165·

BiiI"I'-l.ta, Baptlster), of West Clturclt, Exterior

I66.

Dar

167.

Dsr Seta, BapdrterJI, Plan

168.

I{alCat Sim?w,

169.

Kerf'ii/zn,

170.

it-Anderin,

171.

Naiuii,

/

•

Nortlt

56! A.D.

Clmrclt, PIau.

Clmrc/t, Facade from

Id-Deriml,

tlte West, 554 A.D.

looklllg East, 602 A.D.

PLan

145

Iblz'su, eltapel, PLan and Sec/ions

[48

lj'edm', ellajJe/, Exterior frotu tlu So1ttkwest

150

Cftapet, Plan and Section

Fillslttlt,

150

Cltapel, PIau

15 I

Cltapel, E.1:terI01-from

Baptist,,),

of East

tlte Sontt:

I52

Clmrc/t, Exterior frons

Exterior

from

tlte West

the East

154 from

ttie Norttnuest

Baptister)',

"Catltedra!", HCatludraL",

Section [after

Piau

159

A.D.

160

TVest C/mrc/t, Plall

160

Clmrc/t, Plall

I61

Rqafalt,

175·

i!-T£,bii, Ol1t1'clt, Plall aud Sectioli, 583 A.D.

176.

FacN'tl, C/wnlt

'77·

Rq/ifalt,

178.

I[a.$1~ Ibn

llVardlm, C/wrclt,

179·

Jra.$1~Ibn

TtVardall, C/uwc/t, E.1:terior from

I80.

il-A1lder£ll,

18 r.

Re,afalt,

Central Cluwe/t, Plait

182.

Rqafalt,

Cmt,-al 0"'1'011, lltterlor

183.

Aleppo,

Clawclt of St. S,,-gios,

Plall (after Herzfeld)

of the A,'cltallge!s,

View from

162 164

Southeast,

Shozvhtg Ruins

Tile Alfartyrlon, Plait (afler Herzfeld) longitudinal

domed Chapel, Piau

Section tlte East

168 169 169

restored (after

"La Madrasa al-ijalawiYJ,alt",

Herzfeld)

Capitals

Clan-cit, Piau, Sections and Eltr"ations

Benfibil, House, Plan and Elevat£o1l

165

167

and Section

Lilttels

of Apse

'166

PART TWO

186.

157

and Section

174·

Arcuated

156

Piau, Nartlte% and Capitals

Cll1l1'c/t,Plan, 598/9

MS!labba!~,

155

de VogUe)

il-FlrdjeJt,

8 5.

154

155

173·

1

153

JPta, Baptistery of Clmrc/t of St. Paul and Moses, 515 (?) A.D.

172· All/'alla!."

184.

143

170 171

-'-Early Churches

xvnr Unun idj-Djimal,

187.

Masonry:

Churclt of il/[asecl,os, Plan and Elevation

Reflideh,

A.

Syria

In

House of polygonal Maso1lry.

B.

Umm idj-Djimftl,

Clltwclt of Julianos, 180

188.

Apse from tlce Soutlteast

18 I

Corbellillg Surlrallyii, Chapel, Exterior from tlte SOlltlt.

B.

Plans:

B.

A.

D.

Kasr

A.

iI_Mlldak/lk/lin,

$ab(tah, Ctiurct«;

Cllapel;

E.

CI'apel;

Der-idj-Djiiwlin"

Nortser» Dana, CltU1'c/t;

H.

Plans : J. Bii/fir/,ii, East Clmrcl'; Plans, L. j(okallayli, Clwyc/t;

I\L

"Ans,

Chapel; 1.

K.

Biilpir(,Ii, East Church, jJl/onldings along'East Wall

F.

Chll1'CIt;

c.

Khar/ib

Slums,

Brtid, SOllthwest Clmrcl,;

G.

CI,apel;

it-Andert».

'Uyli,I'l, Clturclus

Djuwau,ye/" CllIlrcl, l{.alb Lauseli, C/lllrclt;

N.

il-Auderin,

Clwrclus

of

193· 194.

55. Micltael and Gabriel Plans: o. Iral'at Sim'till, Baptistery

(after

de Vogit«),

P. ii-Anderi»,

Clwpel;

Q.

Kasr Ibn 1

Wal'dtill; 195.

Plaus :

Zor'nh,

R.

Mir'liyelt,

T.

CIl1l1'cI,of St. George

19

u. 1IIlidjleyyli, Cltapel;

Clmrcl,;

v . Fa'lttl, "CllIlrcl' of tlu Arckongets'",

w. Aleppo, Cathedl-al Kfir,

Clmrcl':

A.

Interior of Apse;

TJlpes of lo1tgitudiua!

Systems:

B.

Exterior

Simklzar, Plan

A.

194

of Apse and

Section;

B.

Brad,

Nortli

CIW1'c/t, Plan

and Section

Types of Arctte s Bli~(.irllii, East

Clmrc/t, Facade

200.

Slti'kIt Sli!mlin, Clmrclt of St. Mary,

201.

Truss, Brad,

202.

Sm'copllagus

203·

em'nice, 1f.alb Laueelt

204·

Blitlt/ii, Cltapel, Porch

205·

il~Allder£1L, Smtih

C/lllrc/t, Section

206.

Um1Jl idj-Djimal,

N01'til Ciltl1'c1t, Plan

Convent, Pediment

Facade

of Porch 200

Cove?' at DjUWlill£,elt 200

207.

Oil

201

South Side

Umm idj-Dji11lAI, Double Clmrclt,

202

and Section

Plan

and Section

208.

R1t'ltJe~tii, "Bizzos

CilurcJt", with

209.

it-A1lderiu,

Clturelt, witlt

210.

Kltirbit il-Klwlfb,

211.

Burdj f:lEdar, West Clmrclt alld Chapel

2 r 2.

Cibo1'iUlIl, Zerzita

2r

3.

214. 2

[5.

Soutlt

Baptistery,

Peribolos Peribolos

532/3

A.D.

2°4 204 208 209 210 210 212 212

Ciborilt1Jl, it· Tlibli Chapel witlt Bema, B'l1'dj f:lMar

213

Kerrlit£ll,

21

Soutlt

Clmrc/l, Plau

5

215

216.

Exedra,

217.

Parapet of ClLOir, Zebed

216

COlJl11lbioll UlIl1Jl

217

2

[8.

219.

lVlirCAyelt

1

idj-DjimAI

il-UlIltii'iyelt, CllIl1'clt of St. Geot'ge and St. Jolm, Plall alld COlYlilbioll

217

List of Illustrations

XIX

220. Ksedjbelt, West Clmrclt, Plan, Sections and ColymbiolZ 221.

Cornice of Tomb, BiibltUii

222.

Trapezoidai

.217 .219

Doorcaps

219

223. Lintel, Bii'ftdelt, Cluirct«, 392 A.D.

220

224. Piercap, Burdj Htda», East C/mrclt

220

225.

East Dooruray in Sontl: Wall, KsMjbelt, East C/t1wclt

2Z1

226.

DOO1~way showing

221

CUJjJs,

Siifayii

227. Piercap, Kasr lblisfi, West C/mrclt

222

228. Exterior

222

Mouldillgs, Biisilfan, Clmrclt of St. Ptiocas, 49 I/2 A.D.

Ba¥irlta, West C/wrc/l Kltirbit Testn, 585 A.D.; z. Zerzitii,

229.

Incised lli/ouidings aud Pilasters,

230.

1I1f01lldiugs: B.

231. lI10d,lIiou Cornices:

A.

;rat'at Sim'cm;

and Baptistel~Y from

Northeast

500 A.D.

223

l{.alb Laneeli (after de Vogiil)

B.

222

223

232. Base Moulding, Dcw !{.itii, Clmrcll of ttte Trinity

223

233. String Course, Klth'bit Trsi», 585 A.D.

223

234.

Windours :

A.

234.

J;Viudows:

C. Basltaki'tll, House J'D.

234-

Windows:

E.

235.

Baslnnishli, House;

RuwNlii,

B.

if-Bar-all,

Sontl: Wall of Norti: Clmrc/t

224

Tomb

225

Dcw J!itli, Sontlt Wall of South. C/t1wcl,;

F.

l{.al'at Sim'i'm, Northeast Corner of

No,·tlurn Basilica of ClI1Wc/lof St. Simeon Stylites

.226

TIVi1ldoUJ,Bl'Ad, Sondnoes: C/turclt

227

Brad, Sounuest

227

236.

Doorway,

237.

Lintels:

A.

CllU1'clt

KIli"bit Tedlt, 585 A.D.;

B.

Easr il-Bmlll;

c. Dlir ;ritii, 462 A.D.

227

Pnluinated lJlloulding,Biibi,/;ii, 480 A.D.

228

239·

Apse Arch, Bii/'ir/tii, East Clmrclt, 546 A.D.

228

240.

Doorway, Biibis/eii,Baptistery of tile East Clwrcll, (Pltotograpltfrom

241•

Mouldillg DecO/'atioll,Dar l{.ilc!, West Doorway of Clmrclt of St. Sergios

229

242•

Cusps,

23°

243·

T,-apezoidal Lintel, KI,il'bit {-fasan, 507 A.D.

231

244·

rtf/est Doorwa)',

231

245·

T),pes of Disks I.

Elltrance

a Cast)

228

to Villa at Ruwe[tii

Biibis{ea, C/turclt

Del' Sha.

2. De,- Seta.

of St. Sergios

232

Kfel' KiM.

22. Silja)'a.

8. Biilll!ll.sa.

IS·

9· Biill!fll.sii.

16. !(iJ!callaj!ii.

23- Kltirbit il-IOta{zb.

3· Db' Shii.

10.

Der Shii.

17· De/us.

24· J!alb Lauzelt.

4· Kjer.

II.

K/lirbit ijasall.

18. Dauwar.

25·

5· Db~Setii.

12. B anl!ttS ii.

19· Biillkl1.sli.

26. il·Bara/t.

6. Kokanllyii.

13· Db- Shii.

20.

Ballakf,l,'.

7· K!lirbit ./:fasall.

14· KiJkalIllyii.

2I.

CA1'sltin .

Kjer.

246.

Lintd, Palace of l{.a,r Ibn Wardan, 564 A.D.

233

247·

Illcised lIlfoltldiug,Nawii, 598/9 A.D.

233

248.

Lilt/el, Kerratin, HOllse,477/8

234

249·

Lintel,

!(e1'1'at£ll, House

A.D.

234

Early Churches m Syria

xx

234

Lintel zuitl: Grapeville, il-AlIderlll, Cfl1,,"cltNo. 9

250.

Lintel, it-Ubtr, 1I10I/asl"'y

235

Base of Colmlt1'

235

Coil",,,,, Brad, Calltedral Doric Capitals: A. Burd] Hbdar , Wesl Clnircl«,

253· 254·

234

2

B_ Bii',1delt, 39

236

A.D.

255·

Tuscan Capila!s

256.

Ionic Capila!s: A. Kefr Nabo; B. Bii'11dell, 392 A.D. CorinlMall Capilals: A. Dar J[ilii, Cfl1wcllof 51. Paul and Moses, 418 A.D.;

236 236 B. Kasr i!·BeIlal, Convent

237

257·

Corinlltian Capila!s

258.

Corinlltian Capilal: Biil,il'(tii, East Cll1lrclt, 546 A,D.

259· 260.

Composite Capilal, KalOiii, 492 A.D.

261.

Brackets, Jr.a!'al Sim'iin [after de VogiU)

262.

Piercap, Dar J{.£lii,Cfl1wcltof tlte Trinity

263.

Piercap and COlll1l1llof Apse, Biisufiin. Cfl1lrcl, of 51, Phocas

~64·

Arcade, Mid!eyyii, Cfl1wcI,

265·

Co!UUt1l, 01lt1ll

266.

Capilals, Nawii, CI"'.1'CIt,598/9 A,D.

267.

Capilal, 1I11l'alla("Soutli Cfwrclt

268.

Piercap, Fa''''',

Cf",rcl, of lite Archangels, 526/7 A.D.

269.

Piercap,

Clltt1'c/t

239 239

239 239

With! 239

Nawa,

239

Piercap, Kasr Zebed UJlt1Jl is-Snrab, Church

Orders, Piercap,

Sab(talt,

of

ss.

Sergios and Bacchos, 489 A.D.

Double C/l1lrc/l

273'

Panel of Cfwncel, SlIr~anyii, Chapel

274·

Cltancel, Der Sambi!, Tomb [after de VogUe)

275·

Parapet, Sltekll S!eman, Cll1lrclt of 51. 1I1ary

276.

Cltancel Posl, 'Odjel,

243

277·

Panel of Chancel, Zebed, Basilica

243

278.

Chance! Post,

279·

Grittes of Window Tympana [after de VogiU)

244

280.

A,'clted Lillie!, Jr.asr il·A1l1dakltkltin

244

28

Plate

Tracery,

Dey Termani1/, (aftel' de VogUe)

282.

Plate

T,'acery.

U1Jtlll il-~llUhl

283.

!V[adoJlJlaand

284.

Madonna and Child, Lintel, Zebed, Easl Cll1lrcll

246

285.

Chancel Post,

246

286.

LinteL, jCdjaz

246

287.

Cm'ved Slab, I'djaiyi.

.247

288.

iI/osaie,

I.

!(!t£,'bit

Um11l idj-Djimiil

C/tild, Lintel at Klta1la.{ir

~tt1lblts

f:lass,

C/Uf1'clt.

243

244 246

,247

EARLY

CHURCHES

IN SYRIA

.

r

PbS

z'"

EARLY CHURCHES IN SYRIA CHAPTER SYRIA: THE MONUMENTS THE

2.

COUNTRY:

3. HISTORICAL

I

Thas long

been known that

more

greater

preserves

ancient

buildings

number,

any other

perhaps,

part

Syria,

the birthplace

a great of the

than

number early

the

volcanic

east

of the

country

for

conceded.

constructed parts

at least turies

determine, work down

the

into

the

additions.

buildings

Egypt,

little

but in Syria

and Arabia

empire

most

centuries,

examples

not

thrived

of church

Christianity,

and,

is one of the

but

of Palestina,

that

early churches; and

populated.

Church

the

there

or

in Nort-

earliest

in the seventh condition

of a

to look for the first of

basilica

at

churches

of the age of

to Judea,

Bethlehem

or to any part

we must look for the best preserved

for Christian

influence

in these ancient Holy

But

in the deserted

of the

that are earlier

in the cradle-land

the

were

regions though

forms

-

Land

has

abodes ever

of Christiabeen

mountain

thickly

country

to

the city in which the followers

first called Christians, Apostolic

has never ceased

Age made

and where the one of its earliest

are may

of Christian

origin

Constantine.

But

century been

by

here

second and

The

to the

the

almost was

about

the

fifth century

architecture,

churches

of Syria

Christian

in the

combined

elaborated of

old ones,

a place

One

architects

of the degree

a remarkable from

the

Capital

of

individual

and vigorous

style grew and progressed until abruptly early 'years of the seventh century.

cut off in the

There western,

This

might

of the art of architecture

showing

empire.

that

of distinction

architecture.

influence

of any

these

enrichment

fifth and sixth centuries, Byzantine

of'the

in a great

of independence the

to have

and imposing

ushered

by these Syrian

about

of

fourth

middle

the sixth century

say that a renaissance

bronght

reign

the

it seems

itself in large

principles

of

the of

inconspicuously quarter

fresh

history

in these

in which new and rich elements.

appear;

new forms of church gave

antedate

beginning

appeared

the

introduced

original

monuments

that the

era of church building,

and

their

of inscriptions

and buildings

it had expanded

of decoration

a

is necessary

of the Church,

with

places of worship.

so perfect

than the Peace

well e~tablished,

century

to

evidence

ruins,

be both inscriptions

Cristianity

monuments,

in

there

fifth and

complete

of them

Christian

Jordan,

Gilead,

fourth,

in

many

direct

forms

well

but

restoration no

in

architecture

it is not

the east of Antioch, of Christ

the

unnatur~

indeed,

to be in operation nity,

in

most important

Constantine;

early

for a detailed

of the

them

and in

beyond

and

that no conjecture

there

ancient

the

destroyed,

of preservation

shows,

without change;

during

partly

of

that lies

desert,

wastes

of Ammon

some

cen-

there are large districts where

were deserted

seem

more

others state

Syrian

of churches

centuries,

the

to a greater

the

to alteration;

century, and have remained wilderness ever since. It would

of

are still hundreds sixth

of country

the

and barren

So far as

Minor, where

most ancient

hills

mountains

estate.

the early

PEOPLE

stretch and

to

was continued

has been preserved

communities

Christian

In Asia

been subjected

hern Africa, Christian

between

have been changed

In

have

original

great

Orontes

or

it is difficult

their

Middle Ages, the

building

extent.

succeeding

that

to distinguish

later

that were

times rebuilt,

during

what

of the Byzantine

of church less

and

will be

in Rome, and other

growth,

certainty,

were,

the power

buildings

worship

and repaired, Church's

with

and

years,

have been so many

altered

of the

actually

The ancient

for Christian

of Europe,

hundred

4. THE

in the the

a

to the fact that Syria has not been a Christian

generally

-,

between

in

this is due, in large

SURVEY:

SURVEY

Church,

measure,

thirteen

CONSIDERATIONS:

homes

of the

INTRODUCTORY

I.

has been' preserved

of the worlel. That

nearly

PEOPLE:

INTRODUCTORY

i.

of Christianity,

AND THE

I

was no era in the architectural as opposed to the far-eastern,

the Roman

period

of the second century

of the

building

twelfth,

that produced

comparable

history of the world, between

art

to those

in northern monuments of Syria

and the revival

Europe

during

the

of stone architecture

between

the fourth and

•

Early Churches

Syria

111

4

forms

of the basilical

the seventh centuries. Even the greater monuments of the Byzantine style, stripped of their coloured

types

of central

as to

the

marbles

as won-

the

derful achievements of engineering skill, with much grandeur of interior scale, but with no charm of exterior

had

effect. The yrian churches, while they may have boasted of mosaics and wall paintings, were not depend-

forms

ent,

and their

as

the

superficial

mosaics,

Byzantine

would stand

churches

adornments

only

were,

for beaut)'

upon

of effect,

in

of purely

a simple,

architectural

truthful

and

ornament, beautiful

vault

and

various

place,

which

in Syria, developed

simple

forms, through

structure

various stages of growth, articulated, producing

A. SOUTHERN

T

churches

the the

of its

in

SYRIA,

which

discussed

the

is not the Syria ordinarily

of several regions wholly,

of

the

are situated

known to travellers,-

in the interior

or in part,

for centuries.

desert

These

which

but consists have become

and practically

regions embrace

uninhabited

a territory

much

larger than those sections of Syria which are still densely inhabited. Some of them, indeed, still remain to be thoroughly they

explored.

were once fertile,

of a highly

There

thickly populated

developed

civilization.

either entirely deserted,

-

primitive

state

preserved

exactly

and condition

are

inhabited

SYRIA,

years.

formed the

eastward the

again

Jordan

flows

western,

coastal

discoverer called

the country

the

however, east

restricted to

the

caused

the

country.

is. to be

The which

inhabited

was

SOUTHERN

reach

was

in which our churches

lie are

SYRIA

the eastern

boundary

the

how

Arabia

lies whole

and

this

of the art of that

in ancient parts

the

times,

by

Arabs,

the

mountains

valley of Jordan,

of Ammon

and

base of those hills, now known

All

natural

usage,

one must traverse

cross the deep

desert

great

third

to remember most

so

lies well

the

in the study

the

dis-

lie too far

as

(Provincia Arabia)

far, but

of the

In modern

called

this region

of Palestine,

the

present

One of our regions

for

the

regions,

for us to employ

far to the north,

pass over the mountains marked off from the others by

strip

is important

region

it is today.

materials

It

southern

To

that M. de Vague,

districts

much confusion

up of the regions are

unless some element

which

north and south;. is known as Syria,

has

by

of the

wonders of these

of the central

and

exclusion

include

to the east of the latter.

A.

this

"Syr ie Centrale."

a nomenclature.

country,

ranges,

line drawn

and the Orontes to

of Syria

south, another

the gradual drying buildings in these

to the number

tracts

ranges which parallel

boundary

owing

not

east

that

more of than are

and Amanus

of the architectural

cussions, to

It was

the stony

the

by

SYRIA

which flows south,

north.

distinct physical- geographical and geological lines, as well as by distinctions of their architectural monuments. lie to

the architectural

and the Normans

of the inner

fertile country

each

of

One further surmises

i.e. the Lebanon

and the Djaulan,

j

of the

soon must have taken

by the series of mountain

coast,

Adjlun

in numher

evolution

anticipated

to

three

plans,

set, that a coalescence

principles

C. NORTHEASTERN

are making

taken into consideration. The principal regions

the

eventual result would have perpetuated Greek and fewer of the Roman elements

which

or of inferior

and

of the Lombards

and

inhabitants,

of poor construction

they

by nomads -, or communities, in a

in reverse proportion

of the

and the seat

Today

of civilization,

a last stand against country. The ancient

proof that

or perhaps sparsely

during a few weeks at a time occupied by small and scattered very

is every

feels,

of basilical

THE COUNTRY

majority

and Aleppo,

churches

spirit.

Palestine, the Lebanon and the coast towns, - nor yet that part of the interior of Syria which still boasts of large cities, like Damascus

in these

to a

B. NORTHERN

in these pages

if

and the' use of high arches,

would have

five hundred

speculate

found in the architecture which we call Romanesque, for these Syrian monuments preserve much of Hellenistic

various

2.

HE country

at least

of natural

steadily from comparatively

quite elaborately

buildings

only

lease of life. One

the development

dome in another

achievements

all wrought

initiated

of structures,

these

building materials. The church edifice, during the three centuries history

set

may

of this development,

a longer

of interior supports,

one

even

and,

use

in tracing

these

in their ruins, present examples of careful composition and design, both exterior and interior, adorned with a wealth

permitted

and most interesting

One

outcome

of architecture

been

however, in

buildings.

eventual

style

structure,

the region around

of il-Harrah. well

and then

Gilead.

extends

Damascus,

northward eastward

and southward,

beyond

the

From

as the Djebel

Wadi

to

we know il-'Akib,

a

The Country

III.

5

tributary of the brook Jabbok of the Old Testament. This territory embraces the group of volcanic hills

valleys,

and have destroyed

structures

in their

building

operations.

less and less thickly

tract

southward,

the

north.

Auranitis

ancient

within the The

formation

of black basalt,

of the

Djebel

of

the

formed

Hauran.

This hardest

with

was mostly region

is

--

of Bedawi n. are deserted,

fewer

building material

Arabs.

here. The

and

is inhabited

by

ward

has reduced

its

which

subsist

is

Empire,

bad government once

the

sites

collections

of sumptuous

rebellion

it offers

in its more

of many

richest

beautiful

of huts among which edifices

are still to be

a remnant of church architecture

mountains

and part of the Ledja

remains have been

or less by the Druses, a people and practically

on the remains of ancient

found

majoriy

the

parts of of the

architecture

independent,

fertility

who

in sequestered

region

churches extremity

the coast range Orontes.

and

of importance is situated and

nearly

as

to the

far

rugged

into

northeast

the Djebel Djebel extending northeast.

Riha

Barish.,

country, Djebel

almost

extends -

road. embracing

and

other

10

the river

This

-

Its eastern ancient

and

is entirely

a

four groups of hills;

and the Djebel

Halakah, the

nor-th-

of Antioch,

to Aleppo.

hills are composed

:l The intervening country between this region and Southern Syria, the country about Damascus thickly settled, and consequently contains few remains of ancient churches.

to the north of

"Afrin,

the Lake

in the south,

one beyond These

lies

the valley of the

by the line of the

Aleppo-Damascus moutain

of the at the

boundary

this region

as the Nahr

is marked

modern

and

at a point a little

flows westward

boundary

north,

to reach it one has only to cross

of the Amanus Epiplta'llia,

ancient

in our study

far to the

of Syria 3). Its western

Beginning

Hama,

(Syria Aragna)

SYRIA

near to the sea;

of the

for a century

in constant

and for this reason

other

one

Only

ruins

seen. Scarcely occupied

as

Plain

The

to wretched

the broken

sometimes

except

towns,

buildings,

j

The second

churches

of the Turkish

flourishing

South

Syria

of the

granaries settled

as the

as Southern

NORTHERN

i

quarters.

by wandering Ledja,

stone ever employed

districts

deserted

inhabited

and in the

which

This is now by far the most thickly settled

exam pies

towns (Ill. J.) in a territory

buildings which serve to illustrate the church of Arabia.

were

to the

in the midst

and

to in these chapters

three

proceeds

In the mountains

Syrian

the Hauran.

as one

a desert, Here,

extensive,

to the south is

vol-

wiJi be referred

of all the

tract

by the extinct

of building

for brevity,

of the ancient

he finds himself

of ancient

has long been

B.

or,

settled

part

but rather

The rolling

finally

tribes

by man in large architectural undertakings had great influence in determining architectural forms. This region Arabia,

until

of a large group that

entire

in the plain basalt was the only durable available.

closely

Trachouitis, and Provincia Arabia.

geological

canoes

rather

and

Roman

composed

It coincides

a great

own unskilled,

known the Djebel Haurau, and the rolling country to the south of it, en-Nukre, and il-Ledja, the great Java on

Taplii.

Gel/eral View in tile Djebel Hanritn. Ruins of

I.

and

Djebel

from

il-A'la, Sim'an,

southwest

to

wholly of limestone

the north

or

that city, is quite

Early Churches m Syria 6

from

of a beautiful texture

and quality. No better

Boms,

directly

stone for

northward

building purposes had ever been hewn. This region, which, in these chapters, will be known

I:Ta~~ and hills

to

as

east

this

Northern

Syria~ or simply

the North,

has few in-

Eiuessa, and to extend

ancient

from that

the Djebel the

deposit

line to include the Djebel

Shbet.

southeast

un broken

two low-lying

of Aleppo.

of basalt

groupS

Somewhere

of

to the

comes to an end;

for at

habitants, and these are confined to a small number of villages that have been erected among the ruins of

Isriyeh. a little to the southeast of the Djebel Shbet, and at Re~arah not far from the Euphrates, limestone,

ancient

or

towns.

There

is ample evidence,

however,

to

gypsum,

takes

its

place,

of Palmyra,

as

well

and

in the hills to the

prove that these barren wasted hills, now almost completel)' denuded of earth and vegetation, were

north

once covered with thin, but productive soil and supported b)' a large and prosperous population. A vast majority of the ancient sites arc entirely deserted, and have been in this condition for thirteen centuries.

which

The greater number

of the small population

are Arabic-

was not easily quarried,

speaking

In the Djebel il-A'ia

there are a

recourse was often had to the use of sun-dried brick. It will be found that some of the churches of this region

shepherds.

natural

in these ambition,

which

limestone hills are very poor and without and have wrought little changc in the

C.

causus, especially

NORTII

EASTERN

SYRIA

region of the

few.

Within

easy reach

west

there

pied

by miserably

boundary

is the

Its western

above , or It extends

eastern foot of the limestone hills described the line of the Aleppo-Damascus highway.

northward almost to Aleppo, eastward to the Euphrates, of its course,

of southeast-by-east,

flows in a general

and southward

into the

unexplored region above Palmyra, part of which may always have been a desert. The western part of this is underlaid

is known

with

black

basalt.

poor

settled

iI-cAla,

and seems to have

some

This

still boasts

been

occu-

of whom

a

well settled

scant

fer-

during

the

occupied by a wretched of the country to the north

east is absolutely deserted, and very few even of wandering Bedawin ever reach this desolate land.

The

country

has

not

been

been

the case of the limestone

is no lack of soil, but of means present port the

only desert existence

which explore

are

grass

of great

this wasted

and the desert-lined

soil,

hills to the

have

earth

of a

of

as has

, there

west·

the lack of rain and the absence

of irrigation, state. The

denuded

brought

seems and

depth, tract

the

region

and

able

to sup-

If it were

not for

dead

mosses.

few widely

scattered

it would between

be the

to its

wells,

all of

impossible limestone

to hills

Euphrates.

AND RACIAL

CONSIDERATIONS

Jews, the Hittites,

and

Syria

or another,

parts

are particularly

of Egyptians,

Phoenicians,

upon

of Syria The

on the

villages

Arabs,

Tis. unn~cessary" for our present purpose, to consider III detail the early history of those

concerned.

highway

of squalid

are

to exist upon a line drawn eastward

3. HISTORICAL

I

Its inhabitants

of the great

is a small number

of I:lama, called

and the

mostly

formation

North.

Middle Ages, and is sti\! peasantry. But aU the rest

country,

country

and

east

rolling

rolling

basalt

deep under ground,

(Ow/eidelle and Eltplt1'atellsis)

a gently

direction

be had. But the

fr0111earthquakes.

It is, so far as it is known,

part

to

in only

are said to be outlaws from the larger towns on the course of the highway. One small section, a plateau

grounds.

at this

rock, it was the

being

as the basalt

the eastern part of Northern Syria, and is to be regarded separately from the other northern region on geographical and geological, as well as architectural

which,

material

quality

of the architecture

a part, at least, of Ellpll1'ateusis. In these pages it will be known as Nortbeastern Syria, or the East, or

third region is [larger than either of the others, has been less thoroughly explored. It occupies

desert.

marblelike

the

parts of the country

is the underlying

building

tility, The and

In those

itself,

were constructed in large part of mud-bricks, and that this produced a distinct inferiority in the architecture. This third region embraces ancient ,C/lafcidence and

settlements of Turkmans and most part'in tents. The settlers

been pillaged for building materials; but ordinthe ancient architecture has suffered only from

natural

capital.

basalt

durable

condition of thc ancient towns, except in a few cases ill which larger villages have grown up in the vicinity of fertile valleys. In these cases the neighbouring ruins have arily

of that

lends so much to the beauty

of Zenobia's

few impoverished communities of Druses j in the middle part of the region, and in the hills to the northeast, one finds occasional Kurds, living for the

rock is limestone

as at Palmyra

with

early

which

history

we

of the

the

at one time

Assyrians,

as having

had

of other

peoples and the

and Persians, only

a very

who inhabited early may

distant

invasions be looked relation

to

Historical and Racial Considerations

fl!.

2.

Itt. 3.

General view itt tlte Djebel Baristza.

Ruins of Damoiir,

General view m zhe Djebel Simc/m. Ruins of Silllkltar.

7

Early Churches

8 the

development

period.

The

later,

one

architecture

of the

Christian

factor

in all these

early,

as in the

stages of Syria's

our

study

of the

However nationality, that

and

they

Semitic

may

since

the

shall

see,

had

had

dawn a

peopled

Christ, -

a rather

that a powerful and intruded into Syrian of Alexander

the

strong

to the foreign

south of it, element was

various

Syrian

nations

still

longer

Nabataeans

upon

the

kingdom

fourth

century

history, -

establishment

in Syria

in Egypt, introduced

and another

a new and vigorc:>Us into tile life 'of the

which

had a most

profound

upon their political, social and but upon their culture, language

maintained in the

small Semitic

independent

duration,

kingdoms

such ,as that

South,

and

organization more

of

of the Arabic

that

of

the

Jewish

readily with

the forms

yielding

pertained what

to of

the

of

purely

given

time

result

of colonization

armies blood But

was

the influence

For

the

along

population

which

be known

this

point;

are

indigenous,

coast,

and

had the

begun South

Edessa,

eventually

had

never

This

of Hellenistic South,

to Hellenize still

cities

apparently

as that

attempting

to

which came the part

result

being

in

of a conscious

of the

maintain

into

that

country

its

which

Semitisrn

and.

independence. Antioch, ~ new fo~ndati~n,'~a~ ~ pur-ely Hellenistic city, established in the midst of a country inhabited other

by Arameans

form

of Aramaic,

who

spoke

but

who

Syriac, had

no

or some national

The

many

elements

were

Greek

that

neighbours.

Maccabean

Hellenistic

of

manifestly rulers,

also shows the

process two

so

influence

kingdom

was

a long

one,

afterward.

conquest

in the North kingdom

of Syria

The

by

in all their

process

During

interference

cities this

the Hellenistic

which part

which

and

up in Syria outposts Among

to have of a later

in

the

the Nabataeans,

and

of Arabia,

under

this time

the e-arly Roman a number

forth

periods

of important

of Western the cities

a significant period,

it

j

of the Jews in 70 A.D.,

province

were the

were

province

of Rome

over

of the world.

architecture

of

early in the first century

by the final conquest

had grown

part

for five

and the conversion

the emperor Trajan, in 106 A.D. From all Syria was ruled from Rome. there

The

began with Pompey's a Roman

kingdom,

of the

history.

of Rome.

the better

B.c.

into

victory

which as they

were to endure

in 63

the

of the Idumean

West

of Syria

power

covering

of Syria

continued Christ,

politically

but its effects

centuries

after

from the peoples

conquering

world

centuries;

affairs

the

been unified

was the

formation

Decapolis,

culture. illustration

of their

appeared

to unify

the

to the

slowly

and the Semitic kingsdoms of once more to reassert their,

a new power

was

by

to the city of Antioch in the Greek cities which grew up

wery

is an that

Jewish

of

peculiar

strength, and a Semitic kingdom had established itself in :anawat.21

of Zeus

East

Church

Church

at Umm

Here the nave

(fit. 16), and

arrangement

the

~

,; ,

•

...

'"

10.40-

EA5TCHVRCH

aeo-

VMM IDJ-DJIMAL

'-"

H.

EB Ill. 16. 10

P. II,

A.

p. 435.

20

Lowrie. il10111111lt11Isof Ilu

Early

Clmrck, p.

126.

21

P. II,

A.

is

of the city gates.

7M

iiiI

This

of Masechos,

•

B

in a

is carried across

to an entrance

and its general arrangement,

A

and

of decoration

profile which

which

thus

little

blocks of very porous

is very plain,

the

reflecting

the prothesis

level.

of

which is not

This

hewn

and describes

were in two storeys,

all all one

interior

caps

moulding

of roughly

the west facade,

important

covered

The

lined

distant.

the portal,

sanctuary,

more

The side chambers

whole

or

was constructed

at is-Sanamen

miles

upon

communication

presbyteriulIl

of

at Tyche

thirty

an altar

chamber

the diaconicon, or vestry;

noted

the

the chamber gifts

in kind. 20 An exit,

it

has also an out-

because

than

basalt.

by

wall, it may be assumed

the prothesis,

like the temple more

and

with the apse

often

be

between

wider. The chamber

name is believed to have contained

which

have

space

CHVRCH

1!1. 15.

one

arches are retained,

directly

Since this

in the

DAMIT IHALYA

(1/1. IS). Here

At the east end, the apse arch is narrower,

the

to

by

type of church is to be

in the Ledja.

the side chambers correspondingly on

is shown

.stCTIONA-B·

of only' three bays. The transverse are

The

(Da1ltatlta).

10

the long nave is abandoned but

ornament.

of the porch

form of the same

seen at Damit

that that its curve

circle within the apse

is no interior

character

il- 'A/;,ij.

by a

the south side has an entrance

in its east end. There

D!cmit

2 I

lIt. 315.

22 P. Il, A. p- 179.

of

Early Churches in Syria

22

that

this

class

confined the

of

immediate

second

_I£t,_

Roman

period,

peculiar

plan

entrance, only

differs from that

i. e. the

in having

flank the

south end of the Temple

the doorways

rectangular

while those

of the

recess in the temple To the south

for

chambers

open beside

open directly

of this church

which

into the nave, the

is a group

of residential

with the nave by means buildings

of a

occupy

two

court, .the west side and the side

at Shakka

appears buildings

other

and

the

early

has

described

of seven

walls,

by one large

The

front

and

rear

ways, the side

and

is by a

divided

These

four small

and are connected

by narrow

longitudinal

arches.

by three

walls are pierced

walls

The

arches.

very close together floor

of this

above.Y

bays

transverse

ground

of the

discovered.

of transverse

pierced

the

to have

example

been

already

2-1-

consists

in

Moreover,

among

system

of Shakka,

rare and

mountains

5ha]::1:(8., in which

arrangement

door-

have no openings.

Tapta. The

rectangular

into the recess itself.

in the south wall. The

sides of an enclosed

the

no

of

quintuple

on the

of Zeus,

of the chambers

sanctuary

buildings communicating doorway

of the end opposite

kind

and

arches, are placed

Tafl.ta. C/mrclt. PIau [after de Vogite).

the east end

its

in the

was found.

"Basilica" of

nearly square,

Ill. 17.

area

prototype

century unique

"Basilica"

was extremely

limited

neighbourhood

place the Pagan been

structures

to a very

oldest also

church

at

of the nearly

portion

Tafha "

Christian

square,

than

it has

those

longitudinal

which

appears

progeny five

of the

connecting

of the

to be the "Basilica",

bays,

wider

"Basilica",

in pro·

but

has

(fli. 17). There

arches

is no

is but

adjoining the church. There are three large arched rooms

one doorway in the west wall though there is one in either side waIl,Vand the east end is pr-Ovided with a

one storey

shallow

high,

storeys, beside These

and six smaller together

with

a small monastery,

group again Another

in a chapter

building

the and

dealing

church,

probably

as the church

half of the double

This

of its class (Ill. 18).

is to

those

church

at

different

three-aisled system

class of building

of Southern

basilical

of supports,

in the Pagan form

church

were reproduced architecture

plan

which

WITH

TRANS-

by the

with the transverse

to

of the Hauran,

at Tafha

is represented which combine

The church

connected

as published

by

published

exploration

P. II, A. p. 128, Ill. 103. 20 S. C. PI. 17. u. c. 11, p. 408.

apse

has three

preserved

of the

still wider

in

dated

368, mentioned

The

at

church it also

prototype, the

IS.

east

but the conditions that thorough A distinct

Nimreh

has

toward

PI.

three apse.

which

doorways There

were

the Church

in an inscription

found at Shakka,

of the

s. C.

It has

the aisles. This is perhaps

over

of St. George,

changes

six bays

no galleries

and the drawings

24

at Shakka,

some

has

a semicircular

shape,

of the region has shown

shows

and

proportion.

this

Syria.

Vogue,

convent

and

by M. de Vogue of Southern

A.D.

at the west end,

of the

At one time be typical

M. de

[Namara},

again and again to illustrate the church

of the basalt country

best

with the

it is oblong,

j

Nz"lIlrelt,28

find their prototype

of Shakka.

was believed

But more extensive

23

Syria

ground and

"Basilica"

of church

Christian architecture of the

CHURCHES

OF SUPPORTS

churches

is the

This

(Saccaea), Convent," 368(?)

of proportion

THREE-AISLED

church

form.

windows.

Slta#a

with the monasteries.

aa

VERSE SVSTEM

A totally

of elliptical

buildings

are CLASS. 2.

apse

I shall refer to the

of the same type

be seen in the southern Khazirneh.

in two

a vestibule in the south wall of the court.

buildings,

composed

appartments

six and

in

much

appears

an apse

to

wider have

between

are such at this

examination

change

(111. 19) follows bays,

side end

the oblong than those terminated chambers;

of the church

is, for the time, impossible,

is noticeable

here,

not

only in the

25 Cf. p. 16.

According to Professor Butler's field notes, "There is an entrance at the West end ned one in the second other doorway in the side walls opens into the tower on the North side. This tower "bears little resemblance 27 S. C. PIs. 18; 22. 28 P. 11, A. p- 343.

bay of the South aisle". The to de vosue careful drawing". e-

r ~ iJ

Churches of Southern Syria

III. 18.

!a!!tii.

J fl. 19.

,Nimrelt.

Cll1Wc!I,

interior looking Nortlnuest.

Clturcll, interior looking

Hlest.

Early Churches in Syria

NIMREH·

CHVRCH'

A

--- A •

0

SE..CTlON

C-D Ill.

20.

was placed

~gainst,

superstructure. If the Section A-B in II!. 20 be compared with the corresponding Section of the "Basilica" (Ill.

temple,

tri-lobed

!O) or with

the south side

proportions

observed

of the ground

that

that

lower,

curch

aisle, and that

which

more pleasing

at Tafha,

span

the

proportions.

The

the

weight

were

designed

of the to carry

both

and

of

in this church

sixteen

half

hundred

of

years.

erected already

shows a church

within

a Pagan temple at Kanawat.

mentioned

it was prostyle, the entrance side

within

right angles five bays.

in these

pages,

and terminated

in a tri-Iobed

chambers.

erected

of this kind which was

The this

to that

apsis

30

the

and the beautiful

set out a whole ments

-

faced the north;

old

original

church:JI building.

An apse with side chambers,

perhaps by the arrangement ----------------

-

axis

was at

It had suggested

of the Pagan building

new

the

wall

was

wall of the

west

became

front

was

the line of the west wall up in large

Nabataean

building

part and

of fragwas very

the only beautiful west front in all the churSyria.

only

32

This church

is now a mass of

the west wall, described porch

In a complex Arab

of

remaining

modern

Pltilippopolis,

ancient

emperor

between

its major

north front

of the temple

The

beyond

but

to open upon

above, and

in good preservation.

Other Examples.

three-aisled

new three-aisled

portico

church.

bay

ches of Southern

evidence

rectangular

the new

wall of the up,

left

of the

It was made

of an

beautiful

i

east

walled

were

foundations

of the

the

was

of the nave

temple,

at the end opposite

(Ill. 8.), with of the

The temple,

apse

upon

a side porch

within,

chambers

erected

the Pagan north

The only other known examples of this ciass of church are not well-preserved. In one of his plans, 20

and

of its side

ruins within;

[Kanatlia}.

M. de Vogue

the

doorways

of the temple.

and roof which

yet more than

j

upper

when one considers

arches

them are in place after nearly Kanmuiu,

of the

it wiii be

are higher

supports

slender, especially

enormous

arches,

the aisles,

are exceedingly they

but in those

the side aisles are narrower in proportion

to the middle and

of the

plan,

supports.

Philip

of the

the

with

It is impossible

debris and modern of a similar

sort,

at CAttl :H, ancient in which this kind

Roman

to mark

former

churches

buildings

and similarly

built

of

one

transverse

to make

work which At/tela,

city

Shehba

his birthplace,

existence the

at

out

surround hidden,

by there

", the is

of these systems

of

its plan in the it. Evidence is to be found

not far from the other places

of Christian

building

has been found.

S. C. PI. 19. 30 Cf. p. 15. 31 A. II, p. 407. 32 A. II, p- 407. 33 Professor BUller makes no mention of this church in his other publications, but Brucnow, Die Provincia Arabia) III, p. 163, refers to a church which was built witbin the "Little Temple." 34 No mention is made of this temple in his other writin~s, but Brunnow, Die Provincia /!1"(lbia, HI) p. 106, lists it as among the ruins. 29

Churches of Northern Syria 4.

C

HURCH

basalt

architecture

and

niments

of the

to the

stretching

Christian

here,

little

if there

and

appreciation

plan

we

already

of churches,

discussed

by

tribute

proportions, bution

to

the relation

people, in these

of

treatment

of details,

themselves

masters

gination.

And

whichever

of abundant

many cases probably both of more

prominence

than

if we

are

to accept

There

are

about

names

of architects

The

term

were

sometimes

is mentioned

as having

The

oblong

of supports chambers ground chapels

these

number

plans

imain

of the South,

which mention

the

held

other

These

men

offices;

one

of being which

with a longitudinal apse

naves, in

between

side

the most universal

churches

found

system

of the fourth

in the region

but all of them appear Variety

minor

extent,

In the superstructures

in the a

was introduced

details, proportions

similar

placed

in strong

of Southern

Syria.

Ornamental

contrast

such as the of part

uniformity

or

in these Corinthian

orders combined are

not

fixed over

by

diversity

in the

local

details

masonry the

use of material,

and this was

of

regions

The

the

church

dated

this is dated tion of the

body

set in clay; and

in Northern

churches

but in all cases

earliest

which,

as earlier than decades.

These

middle

of the

perhaps

a Jittle

state.

Syria

There

church

which bears

region

Churches

and

convinces

to be built here,

which

are

still to be

are no less than seven may be reckoned

of Fafir t in by at least two

may be grouped

as dating

fourth

centnry;

some

earlier,

others later,

about

of them

than

the

being

the year 350.

BiiJdrf'tsii. Nortlt Clwrclt 3;'. The

deserted

Djebel

Barlsha,

ruin

near the middle

we have deliminated to

pre-

churches appearance

here,

of Banl$.usa

the

as Northern more northern

is situated

of the Syria.

in the

region which There are two

of which

of being among the oldest christian

has every buildings

35 A. II, p. 88. Early

of

a careful examina-

of the

for various reasons, the

in most

is one at Fafirtiu,

of those

seen in their ruined

and

with the arches finished stone.

in the year 372; but

the

polygonal

windows,

one that this was not the first church nor yet

of the walls

in others still, of small undressed

inscription

other

of stone care-

of double-faced

shapes

doorways

earliest

walls of the early

blocks

cases the entire east end, together the interior, were made of highly a definitely

to local conditions.

the

of ponderous

also finished;

frames

is also a slight

of a sort

stones of irregular

usages

are found well

we find that

In other

composed

different

but

in part at least,

regions

yet we find

There

region.

actual

were built

fnlly finished. was

practice,

the entire

due very probably, churches

structures,

in others. And these

scattered

In certain

early

small

of bays in the nave and the placing of entrances,

and to a certain part.

showed

for they were

the distinction

periods.

only

refined

Ionic

churches

are to be

to later

the

to one in the Snuth.

a semicircular

with undivided

belong

as

or builders,

rcWvlTl1Q.

plan of these Northern There

con-

such

of one of the churches

basilical type, and

which

of the inscriptions.

at the east end, furnished

century.

into

or had

buried in the sanctuary he designed.

afforded

architects

brothers

is usually

deacons,

we

there

appear to have been persons

in the North

employed

than

and the

ten inscriptions

in their ornament

are

in some examples,

of mouldings,

the evidence

of con-

and diversity

and two or three

architects,

their

instead

variety

in others,

to solids, the distri-

-

of the curve

throughout

the

of ground

of effect,

we choose to call them

or the true arch

the

were

skill and fertile

Northern

the

the Doric order employed

matters

ornament,

end,

pages

prototypes

beauty

with the churches

such as

east

part

is to be seen

they

is

are not profuse

perhaps because

the Northern

these

lintel

or permitting

however,

diversity

for the majority

in the North

of voids

carved

arcuated

the

to show on the exterior

in which respect

endeavor

In the matter

of masses, the employment

application

to

of artistic

but in all those

directly

at

of treatment,

have accomplished

variety in the Pagan

more

roofs

at hand was an important

seen in the South,

country;

of the apse

accompa-

again,

of less importance,

of the

cealing it by a flat wall. The great

find far less variety

the

to an extent

nave

lofty clear-

invariable

And

in any other part of the could

the

was

plan.

in details

of the

in architecture

had been no spirit

was a smaller

only

the arrangement

arcades,

work of local, native builders. have

presented

roofs are the

in the

hut this alone

churches

to the

for the arcades,

basilical

employment

at the time

among

lying

far away

timber

beautiful

world, The material

factor

of the

supports

of design and of construction

in the erection

unknown

than is that

In the hill country

and

every element

employed

stages,

of the South. Orontes,

contributes

of the

vails. Columnar storeys

northeast,

almost

country

SYRIA

of the North is far more beautiful to contemplate,

of the

that

in the limestone

OF NORTHERN

even in its earliest region

east

CHURCHES

25

in Syria. 4

Early Churches

26

Syria

111

.·.::0::0. :0: 0:: a.::u::·:-I~~

~ ~ .-.,,--

r t.

'.:0 .:0 'cu:.-c::::o:.:.rr..:.:"'iIl'=~

J II. 21.

in this entire

region. and

west

end

Unfortunately

about

one

end has entirely

collapsed

the slope,

the interior

leaves

only

arc enough 1 have the

much

j

of the north

'wall

Ill.

of the

of the arcades,

ear-ly

the east end,

churches

This seems among the

of the

after

region,

blocks

laid without

portals

reference

in the

south

There

a semi-

Syria,

except

small block

is inserted just

no exterior

in a single

ornament,

the westernmost profile

below

saving

doorway.

as that

instance

jambs

a moulded door-cap

This

of similar

details

the

nave

columns

on

debased about liar

was divided

either

form. The

intercolumniations

of lintel

structure

to the earlier Christian in

which

a block

semicircle of a true

cut in three

is

manifest this

of Christian

symbolism

in any

but

some

of the

fragments

of a chancel

than the church, as the chrism, In my

capitals

were

the cross, the

P.

n.

ll.

p. 114, Ill.

church 132.

out in the

of the churches 01 and all, save but the ruins

disturbed.

This church

is quite similar

to the church at Bankfisa

22).

arch

form,

in the nave.

The

apse is preserved

of the

half

dome.

original

erection

the a

effect

longer

shape

apse;

por-

to

fallen,

such

ordinary

37

south

The

later

a

may

the

toward

the

apse their

Note:

Not

as

are

its

at the

The

half columns published.

that

The

form was

was square until time

of the general connected

Here again the

The

side walls have

they east

responds with

changed

side of the

original

doorway.

show

after the

entirely north

is directly

state.

masonry.

formerly

the

chamber

ruined

long

which

a small

is important.

apse nine

that

chamber

remains

coursed

much that of the

assume

nave is a narrow bays

up to the springing

have

on

the south

by

the

seven" made

chamber

south

is in a sadly but

that

are

of the church,

alterations. church

except There

Alterations,

the

lengthened with ,

of

but one

similar

is no sign

I mentioned

brought

condition,

(Ill.

,symbols,

of ornament

by an inscription,

dilapidated

of well-

laid in regular and

one

proportions,

fish, and the wine vase.

of the

is dated

Not

is size and

have disappcared

Christian

district

as characteristic

uniformly

will be

follow.

the earlier

to the general

of limestone

little

rail, which may-be

show various

first publication

36 A. ll~ p. 95.

which

am.ong

conform

of construction which

which

in the

to be

pecu-

tions of the church, unless it be that there were cro~ses upon

churches

Serdjitla. ec

in a

of the structural

must be

of hills in Northern

are built

blocks

variations

have not been

of Northern

There

of

that

giving the

think,

Pagan

group

They

they

one, are in a much

six

the blocks, and then

arch set lipan the columns.

appear

details

descriptions

from centre to centre

stones,

but

a

was set upon each column,

was laid upon

was

and

architecture

and a long lintel stone extending of the columns

carried

period; The

The

I now

group

country.

quad rated

the

of the Ionic order

of which

of the

dressed,

in two neigh-

seven bays.

wide. The columns

combination

peculiar Syria,

side were

Christian metres

2

into

a converted

outlines of groll nd plans descri bed above

bouring ruins, dated, the one 349 and the other 352 A.D. The bases of the columns, which are still in situ, show that

most

of the

over

has almost exactly

suggestion,

interesting

courses.

There

been

the southernmost

are

in which

the lintel.

is an

churches

of huge qua-

their

this

Djebel Riha,

to coursing. There

wall;

but

have

Tlte Djebel R£(,a.

of all

side chambers (Ilt. 21).

The walls are composed

monolithic,

same

as having

it might

abandoned.

but these

the manner

that

building;

the

probable enough, for there are stones debris on the slope which once belonged

to a half dome. are two

possibility

This

side walls. and

for observation;

circular apse between rectangular

drated

lie in ruins.

to suggest a very early date for the church.

restored

Serdjilla. OI1I1'C",plan.

22.

of it has rolled down

arcades

the remainder

fallen details

~llO.tioO

it is ill-preserved.

third

are hewn out of the solid rock of a hillside. Its eastern and

-i::c-4@

North Ol1lrch, plall.

BliIlN/sa.

Its

0

~

were built of end

preserves

on either side

beautifully

carved

-----------~

Churches of Corinthian

caps

familiar was

with

which

good

carved

show

that

Classical

in the

models.

middle

set

impost

on

the

columns. little

moulding same

The

was

A small

cross

The

are of the same

of the half dome,

level

apse

projection.

architect

of each abacus.

of the arch piers of the apse as the

the

as

arch

the

capitals

had a moulded

'The doorway

of the

interior

columns

did

columns

at the

ends

a very

simple

profile

which

was

of the

half

archivolt

of

of the side chamber

is

century. not

of the

Tuscan

The

match

those

were

Here

the

upon

arches

storey

lintels

for they

are

of

which

which

windows

in form,

which are lying

half

as in Bankusa, blocks

The

rectangular

of the

but

stilted

of the

clear-

as may be seen

by

in the nave.

The

basilica

and

about

preserves three

of the springing

plan

is typical

its

west

Rlha.

wall, its north

of its

of the

east

end

half dome.

wall,

up to the

The

ground

(flt. 23). Its size and proportions

quite

like

the

gains

still more in length, relation

rum in the Djebel

quarters

level

the

cut

two foregoing,

of 5 to

except

so that

3· The

the

were rectangular

Ruwe(tfi, Solttlt The elder

that

are

the

its proportions

entrance

towns

of the

have

been

to the

churches reasons,

blocks,

their

but have little projection, ian in type; and The which after

are

be made

of the

of the

others

inclined

fact

are

to look

of antiquity,

have

a logical

give place

which capitals

to

of good

a number

responds,

type.

They

of the apse

capital. apse it. For

There

on

a third

once more

38 A.ll,

264).

(Ill.

other

form

compounded

p. 96.

nave two

west

was rock-hewn

above

west

and

north

like fourth century aisle,

which

39 A. III p. 99.

is

portal,

Midjleyya entrances

, and if any, was

indispensable

for the first

southern

the

(If!. 26).

preceding.

each

aisle.

there

original only

in the Syrian

because

of the fact that the church

versely

for

of

half of

in concerned

There

wall as usual, three

in Serdjilla

separation

fallen, leaving

innovations

in

certainly

_

wall, side chamber

of Bankusa where in the

is primitive for the reason

weil-preserved,

in the south one

when the In all other

of Ruweha

no important

and

that

it would be

columns

24) and all the

true

the

in churches

at a period

like

of this

Yet One is

because

so far as stonework

front

there

only

the north

bays,

not

arch as a sign

of the apse having

nine

was not

form.

is exceptionally

entrances

in the course,

has

arcades

of architecture.

Church

(Ill.

should

while the arches

in

upon

For

to be a little later

is the more evident

intact,

in the

arch appears,

history

The plan presents The

arched

district.

perhaps nave

forms and

arcade,

front

window

in stilted form. But in this place the upperwall cf the

west

the

set directly

half dome

panel carved

time the three-piece

The

the

that

it is found

building

the church (Ill. 25).

are

at the level of the

rectangular

semicircular

the north

much

only

South

the

it seems

might

than the other

mountain

Too

of construction

this

only

and the

same

which is

and ruined

accounts,

of true arches,

primitive

that

deserted

upon the three-piece

since

other

arch was being

hand,

modelled

Here again the impost

most blocks are banded and moulded architraves.

the

are cleverly

is placed

is a small

with a sunken

profile,

of ornamental

are beautifully

with the caps of the apse piers. moulding

Attic

to the capitals

are again half columns, a Classic

were set on high

and the Classic volutes

give variety of the

being

this

basilica are composed

have

and their capitals are Corinth-

leaves are uncut

caulicoli

devices

columns

bases

was appa-

in Ruweha,

of the

however,

the

plinth

there

Ril)a, on some

of them.

and

intercolumniations

m. wide. The dividing

windows

of the nave.

to be more ancient

from

either

nave north

Djebei

taken

enough,

2.07

and

over each arch

extensive

respects,

the

and with slight

clearstorey

of the two churches

one of the most

nave

bays;

The

Clturclt.30

time in the whole

nine

loophole windows

on the inside,

lintels.

as at Serdjilla,

chamber, which we shall call the prothesis in this case, is a three-piece arch and is still in place. The had

Clwrclt, plait.

shows narrow

splayed

in

rently one window

than deserted

Midjley),ii.

preserved,

high up, deeply curves

other

is another

23.

is completely

two

JJ£idjleJ'yii. ee This

Ill.

part of the semicircle

cubical

considerably.

were

their

plain

the

::·.U_-_-:U:::U-.-:IL·_·U.-.-_TI"_-_-n:::n:::

again the three-piece

which form the lower

raised

of

with an echinus

was used above the columns,

the blocks

capitals

arcades.

order,

recta ill profile.

is a eyma arch

fourth

27

caps

provided with a simple door-cap, the profile of which corresponds to door-caps definitely dated about the middle

[orthern Syria

the

This,

of

the west wall was only one plan, one.

while The

churches,

perhaps

was divided sexes,

in side

the

transmen

Early Churches

111. 24·

111

Syria

R'i",vel..ta. Sontl: clinrch, West facade .

•

lit. 25·

RuwNtii.

Sontl:

C/l7I.rclt, interior

looking

Soltt!i East.

Churches of Northern Syria :.::::O::.::O::::E.:::.D:.::O·::.::a:·:::a::::.a,::.:.'I

"""" ....

,J

~r

" ' ,

~

A

26.

Ill. occupying The

Rltwe{tfi. Sout/:

the eastern common

apparently

arrangement

early

in the

not considered

builders,

even

in some

~l"

"M

~

io! :

basilicas,

"i

,'.if! :~,o "

by the Syrian

as essential

larger churches,

~.

~

was

(Ii

~

not to have been required

The

nave

arcades

consist

arches

of nine voussoirs

storey

windows

over

each

are

arch,

windows

by ceremonial

of columns each,

not stilted.

rectangular

with

two

in the side aisle

and

in

the

are

double- pitched

roof of the

nave

way

through

This

may be a feature peculiar

for it is found in which the

and it is probable treated.

The

ceedingly

simple.

nave arcades than

loopholes.

The

right-lined

door-cap

of early fourth

to show that the

the three

western

portals

all the

of somewhat

more

wall.

one showing

a bevelled

to the early churches, basilicas

The chamber

on

up in two storeys,

that the north chamber was similarly

ornament

throughout

The capitals

the church

is ex-

of the columns

of the

are of the Doric order, of a Greek rather

a Roman

type,

for they

cltapel, plall.

The

in none of the later apsidal

of the apse was carried

have no astragal

and

interlaces

in flat

mental

discs carved door-caps;

suggestion

The

early

Riha.

The latter,

tirely

of ordinary

have

no

apparent

from

the

beauty

end or

of the other

caps

set

of the

colonnades,

form

existence effect.

in place

of responds,

on the impost

Outside of the details described above other ornament within the church. The

ornament

well balanced crowns and

the

all

of the exterior

cornice, the

in profile

consists

chiefly

walls, and is used

straight

portals

are

across

severely

for a number been

contrasts quad rated

plans,

Syria,

to those

as we have just

from

Sim'an,

are

polygonal

of two kinds;

In the matter

the differences

the most salient

difference

width of the arches of the nave reduction of the number of bays.

one,

the other,

set in clay, both

75 to 80 em. thick. where

are built en55 em. thick,

masonry,

field stones

a

of the Djebel

seen,

masonry,

which is present

are less con-

is in the increased and

the consequent.

of a which

for the two gables

the

two

pediments.

The

plain,

the

easternmost

having

Sz'mk/zar. This

half gables at the end of the aisles. It is also

drawn

of the ends discs gives a

except

of Northern

of undressed

being

spicuous,

is no

have orna-

these

of the Djebel

district

of interesting

of ground

profile.

a cyma recta,

of

symbolism,

a sort of double-faced kinds

moulding

there

number

composed

bracket

haif dome of the apse is of the simplest

none

while the walls of the former

east

columns

are simple

The impost

detract the

of engaged

there

level.

and At

lintels

crosses which might have after the church was built.

churches

Syrian type projecting on both sides in the of the axis of the arcade. These brackets for

three

with intricate

Tile Djebel Si1ll'1'11I.

a peculiar direction

general

All

the middle

carved

upon the flat surface

of Christian

the northernmost

reason

profile. But by door-caps

character.

fascia

but

of crudely incised added at any time

century

are dignified

decorative

relief.

of the

necking and the profile of the echinus is good. Three of the nine standing columns have brackets of 110

of the

Sim/;:/ulr. Clmrcll and

Ill. 27·

one

top of the east

the east end is preserved.

south

clear-

was carried

to a gable at the

SCALf;,

front.

mere

east end is sufficiently well-preserved

The

_ ....

1.dCM·1M·

true

are placed west

i

forms.

carrying

II

:r""

and .... ,,__

seems

E

, ,A'"

with three western Latin

of their

~

za.. :r

half and the women the western.

more symmetrical

portals,

CllIIrcll, plan.

t-

side a

40

church

is of the

long,

narrow

(Itt. 27). It has a small apse, and square

side-chambers,

lengthened

toward

the

but

that

east

after

basilical

originally on the

the

type

had two south

completion

was of

Early Churches

ru.

28.

1D

Syria

Simkhllr. Cltztrc/tat left and Cuaoe; at right.

..

Ill. 29-

Burdj J:liidar. vVest Omrclt, exterior f,'ollt tlte Southwest.

Churches of Northern Syria

Jlt. 30.

the

church,

and

an arch

X/tare'tb

was

placed

at the same time. This chamber with

the

nave

is ill reality

bay

apse

of both

which

of the arcades of the

ponds,

arcade

crown

of the

south

wall

is quite which

was

the

half dome

sixth

north three

standing.

with the res-

and only half

of

contrast to the chapel,

The south not

(1ft. 28). The

The whole structure

to the south

but

at this

wall. The west wall,

preserved

of small and

quadrated, and

are

and in strong

century.

composed

the

flat pilaster piers. There

remains in place.

added

side of the east end wall is double-faced

irregularly well

lintels are monolithic

shaped

finished.

The

and entirely

wall was built of field stones,

The rectangular by

enclosing

of the east end lip to the

and most

primitive

roughly The

apse,

walls. The opposite

in the south

is only partly

clearstorey

jambs

the

at the west, are rather

the south

in

from

are half co] Limns engaged

doorways

and

is taken lip by two walls

two projecting

are three

The

but the easternmost

on two sides. (11/. J97 A.). The responds

ends

the

at its entrance

is directly connected

seven-bayed,

forward

C/m1'C/t, exterior frons

of a narrow doorway.

nave arcades

project

bema end

by means

Sheins.

blocks door plain.

laid in clay.

windows of the c1earstorey are framed

long blocks set in the irregular masonry

of

31

tlte Norstnuest.

the c1earstorey

wall. The main arches

and are composed common impost

blocks with a double

and the voussoirs, order to carry

being

columns are short

and thick, and

cincture

at

a

building, constitute The

four panels

walls of the

of the

above

shaft.

interior

debased

The . mouldings

rail

of the- arcades,

of Christ, carve?

is the only the ruin.

bit

of Christian

the side

in debris, but

richness of design.

the middle of the westernmost

ornament,

between

hidden

devoid of ornament.

of

than the original

The exterior

There are no traces

even of the usual cornice. A six-armed the monogram

type

a) well turned

constructional

are almost

the show considerable was practically

necking

of a chancel

bema

a pronounced

arc of a very

with the capitals

only

the aisle. The

have

which may be later

together the

them, project out

scrolls. These, and the single Doric

tall

the .top

the apse arch,

j

the impost in

are Ionic, all but one which is

capitals

with small billet-like have

bevel at the top

than

on the side toward

capitals

Doric. The Ionic capital,

thicker

the thick wall above

beyond the imposts entasis. Their

are not stilted

of seven voussoh-s which spring from

cross forming

in very low relief in portal

in the side aisle,

symbolism

visible

in

Early Churches

32

In

Syria

...-----:--:-:-:--:-:-"""-:-

...... I OM'

SCALE. , .50CM-lM·

D

A,-J,t.*~..~..... _~~f~=;r~' B

"~r ~ f

l·!O

M>:

"

'sE.CTIONA-B

~ C-

---=.~-:--10M· 'sCALE.

.5:E-CTION C-D' 3 t.

Ill.

!Ota1'ab Slunns,

Burdj ijfdm-. West CllUrclt." This church,

of the few churches arcades; were

made

have

entirely

Sirn'an, is introduced

of uniformity

of style.

which preserves

but it preserves of ordinary

field

It is one

both of its nave

else (Ill. 29). The walls

little

disintegrated.

and sections.

The arches

also in the Djebel

here as an example

Church, plan

stones The

laid in clay

and

details in cut stone

are composed

which on either

two of

side are shared with the other arches.

They are not stilted. in the midst

voussoirs,

of eleven

The two south

of their dismembered

simple door-cap, .the eastern a more elaborate

portals stand erect walls,

each has a

one of which

has rather

profile than the other,

similar to door-caps

though both are

which are dated in the fourth century.

are the nave arcade, the apse, the jambs of the aisle portals The

and

plan

the

frames

was greatly

of the altered

clearstorey

at the southeast

when

the prothesis was rebuilt (Ill. 2(1); but the rest of the

original

shape,

would

be

classed

angle

and greatly extended church remains in its

so far as plan is concerned.

aisles are disproportionately

windows.

wide,

The

}OU/1'"bSlums. This church

4'

is one of the best

edifices in Northern

Syria.

built

laid in clay,

of field stone

side

half dome

of the

so that the church

tree which

has grown

among the later structures

if there

wise

the

building

were not so many other features

that confirm an early

roofs (Ill. 30). The

date. The

are divided

These are divided

columns 41

six bays of the nave of

P. 11,

IJ.

excellent

proportions

p. 288, llf. 31 I.

by Doric

and careful

finish.

but one are Ionic,

preserved

Its side

walls,

have

apse has been

religious

which were

fallen, and the

wrecked

by an oak

up within the sanctuary

is almost

intact

nave has only by arcades

but

other.

for its timber

five bays (Ill. 31).

in which

the exception

j

being

all the columns Corinthian

in

Churches of Northern Syria

FAfIRTIN· CHVRCH· DATE: AVG'372AD-

D

E,CTION A-B'

j

I' I

B

rJf!iC· IIU

"

".7

DETAILS'

SCALE,: .20' CM-1M-

1Il. 32. general

form.

stilted

on cubical

dows above by three those

The

impost

are broad blocks.

the north aisle are rectangular

in the fifth century.

south

portal

and that

plain;

higher

of Kharab

arcuated

Shems

in the ends

windows the

It is interesting

in its proportions,

windows

windows

facade

is much narrower

Churches

and

of the aisles. It has three

of Ruwehn

in Syria.

pre-

it has but one portal,

on the level

on the clearstorey

which

to compare

of the arches is blank,

level,

within,

two arcuated:

in place of rectan43

Early

west

This church,

thus far in this chapter,

west facades,

the two. That

where

openings,

and a small square

has three

in its pediment,

arcuated

is still in place, of

and lintels

but the

gular

two rectangles

arch, instead

windows.

mouldings

The

The

over the

the other church

opposite

and all, above

of at the extreme

as is the case at Ruweha.

window

where

east

pediment the chancel

end of the church

half dome of the apse

by a lean-to roof, the side chambers, of the aisle roofs.

was covered continuations

by

at Ruweha, are the only buildings in Northern

their

much

and framed

The jambs

portals are severely

mentioned

serve

win-

as the result

was provided with frame mouldings.

Syria,

being

The c1earstorey

on the other side are arcuated,

of the

and high,

monoliths set in walls of irregular construction;

restorations

and

arches

Fafirtin. 372 A.D." This

brings

in Northern Sim'an.

us to the earliest

Syria,

The apse

parts

are Jying

hillside.

in the heart

here is perfectly

rest of the church the north

situated

of the dated

has been thrown

as they

nave

down,

fell. PracticalIy

had seven bays

of the Djebel

preserved;

wall was cut out of the natural

The

churches all the

but alI its

the whole of rock of the

(III. 32), one portal

-----------------P. II, B. p. 327, Ill. 370. 5

Early Churches in Syria

34 at the was

west

end and two in the south aisle. The

flanked

from

the

aisles

chamber The

by square through

having

exterior

between

side

narrow

also an outer

curve of the

the

chambers

side

doorways.

doorway

apse

chambers,

of two

but

mouldings,

These

capitals

graceful,

having

a tall necking

the

shaft.

The

are

responds

of delicate

cyma

apse

have

of Doric

peculiar

caps

Christian

is richly

variety

decorated

the astragal piers

profile,

outline

cap

while

the

carved

egg-and-dart.

with

The

consisting

of

2

The

of

the

order with

and

the

Biitfitii.

little

'century the

of four

plainness

the

regular

the keystone

cross.

The

doorways,

rectangular of

are treated

with a delicacy

of workmanship

that

the neighbourhood

kind. aisle

are

which

of design wanting have

interior,

I have not hesitated

in the

quarters

of the

lintel

in the churches described

Ionic

b

,

Northern courses

are

found

Syria.

to place all of them

drums

of this

building above

the apse

the

church that

are

in two

spared

churches

to

except in the

one general

large

its walls must have

been

Few

a height

built

nave

are

but

the

which

collapse.

of the columns.

rectangular jambs

in double-faced were perfectly

and

have

the two

comes the

a Tuscan

above

finally a four-

the

cincture.

moulded,

Corinthian

in at

capital

the same apparent

delicately

The

those of

design. The

its springing, are returned

giving outward

of Eafir tln. The arches of

those

wide

were

but

the east end is a next

echi nus,

Its mouldings

walls

side, At

then

necking

end presents

we see an effort

volutes,

capitals

like

east

time

variety,

drawn

The

with the

capitals one

comparatively

monolithic

the

are of a crude

effect.

nave,

of west wall are standing.

on

in the

and of

frames.

the

balanced.

are

structure

window

first

alike

is slightly

remains a

the

these

piers

of large of over

to the fourth

wall

bays,

in the

to the

clear-storey

and

built

windows

are

and lintels.

set

The

polygonal plain.

are not stilted.

of quadrated

blocks,

in with heavy

aisle walls are partly

masonry.

The

doorways

The

it appears

of small

Bdid, Catlzed"al."

field

stone or even of mud-brick, for hardly any quadrated stones are to be seen . The plan ,ever, how . easi 'IY IS ~11ade out. The nave had seven bays and the proportIons of. 2 to 3. The apse connects directly with the north Side chamber, the east wall is sttais ht as usual Both side chambers are entered by door~vays. Ther~ are t wo d oorways In . the south aisle, but apparently no west portal. The capitals of the columns of the nave arcade seem to have been uniformly of the Ionic 44 P. II, n. pp. 293--299, 111. 323 -16 P. u, n. p . 3301 1//. 374.

the

five

responds

The

column

one, but

of

assigned

of

without

at the springing,

the lower

are composed

lengthwise.

standing

ground,

in the

of Pagan

of Kefr Nabo

apse

was a comparatively all

fragments

incorporated

split

was miraculously

that

In the church

of the wall of the

column metre

and then

the apse

windows were

and

arcade

For

recta All

a horseshoe now

arches,

and

its

it, and part

two

owing

be of

door

common

Ionic.

height

its

capital

apse arch

It is only

the

doorways

should

only

the

caps of the

Kef,. Nabo. J4

Only

apparently

of

sided

of

century.

echinus.

variety

with a cyma

above

of a very simple

south

no

were

Corinthian

bu ildins

into seven bays.

is Doric

plan.

are

sides

of the

the

great

There

were

the inscription of this

and

toward

and a refinement

been

and therefore earlier

The

bears

All the details

the date.

and

of the c1earstorey

of any

of the south

monuments

a disc embracing

exterior

windows

ornament

gives

is carved

is divided

of

has

On

has the

columns

grounds

above

doorway

temples

the

nave

of Classical

of much

nave

to 3 and

church

on

The

entabJatures

church, The

4G

clearstorey

These

ruined

foregoing.

of the

their descent

a cyrnatiurn.

the

straight frames

This

a

apse

as

proportions type

No other

churches.

of cut stone.

of

with

completely

type

at the spring of the arch showing

the

which

and

is another

same

are returned

a studded

east

recta

a

early

45

mouldings

in Syria.

devoid

no

above

proportioned

with mouldings

from the arcuated

and

ovolo

above

of

the

in these

be discovered.

apse

bands under outward

an

could

Here

to show had

common

Biis!tal1wa.

south.

apse

pilaster

mouldings piers

on the

the

well

are

south

nave arcade are of a echinus of the capital -

cavetto.

the

most

ornament

entered

is permitted

windows. The columns of the Doric or a Tuscan type, the consisting

both

type

apse

45 47

P. II, P. If,

The

great

"cathedral"

church because

at Brad is here it is the

referred to as a

largest

church

in the

entire

region of Northern Syria and is situated in the laraest ruined to hi .. b wn, W rch was perhaps originally Barade . Tile C h urc h IS i in an almost completely ruined . stat~. Only the

apse

the lower end,

and

11.

eastern the

COurses

only

is s.::'ndin~. 11.

the

piers,

of the

the But

of the nave arcades,

of

the

apse

are

side

chambers

and

in place at the east

lower

storey

of the western facade

all the

details

are

rr: 365. p. 305, Ills, 337~339.

p. 325,

responds

walls

lying

as they fell

Churches of Northern Syria at

the

time

difficult

of some great

earthquake,

to draw a restoration

The nave has the proportions 36 m. long and 22 m. wide. wide

bays.

doorways way caps and with

The

leading

east

the

of the

eastern

those

end

into the

between

apse

regular

in plan,

side chambers

and

are delicately

exactly

like

those

elsewhere;

inspired

The

that

for this reason,

fi!- ,~:

...

~,',:: : :

ti---

',

~4-

: : J.9~·

wt~- : :

I

;;

I

~ 1'·

IN.3C·lr83

r0 ..e 0 ------;;

R~.).o

but the middle

j

which was certainly

carry

a salient

sufficient

a large triple-arched and flanked

In

and its lintel

is

cornice

details to show opening

by engaged

divided

colonnettes.

~1 ,~--+~B

5.9~-

: : ase

a

:

~'~

;i

12 us

which

-.

i: ---111~

--.,.

and

at the ends of the

profile,

ruin preserves

was

aisle at its

portals

models (Ill. 34). It is framed

~

: ;' >

,

there

entrance

Classical

consoles

by colonnettes

,

'--~¥-~~~---:-+,

dignified

Above this the

in. the church

north

and of small importance

of good

by

the

western

The doorways

by Classical

flanked

carved

A

narthex.

mouldings

onto

are three

portal is a large,

moulded,

are of Doric type

was joined

There

aisles are plain

with

chamber.

which end.

colonnaded

and a door-

the north

responds

of Farfi rt in and not found

chapel east

of 3 to 5, (lIL. 33) it is It was divided into nine is

of the apse piers

egg-and-dart,

and it is not

of the whole structure.

35

l,tO

~ ,,~ ,:

::

iii , ,

---"-+'--+--!iiI ~

:" :

,~

I

U'J 1.60 .2-3

.----S.

~-~

r4.~,)-

BPlAD

-s.

'CATHEDRAL:'

10M

Ill, 33· among

others,

one need not hesitate

approximately arcades Doric echinus

the same date.

present carved

the necking arum leaves.

The capitals

a new design

in general

outline,

j

the upper

with

a heavy

with perpendicular being

decorated

to give this church

with

of thenave part

being

right-lined

or twisted

grooves,

eight erect,

plain

Bii'ude/t, Clmnlt There the

ruin

the

century,

of this

demolished at the

392 A.D.

4S

is a small

east

name,

This that end

give assurance

church

building

it is impossible j

that

the south and north sides were provided with distyle porches; but these may be later additions like the

There

it had an apse,

the side cham bel'S are common

still

to

Djebel

Bartsha,

be

at

from the end of is so completely

to determine

but fallen stones

debris. The proportions are only

which dates

little

To the south of the church was an oblong atrium, colonnaded on three sides. The two portals on both

from those

in the

its form

from a half dome and the walls of seen

beneath

the

of the nave are entirely changed in the churches

four bays, and the

of this century. nave is so wide as

......... -------------(z~---Early Churches

III . 34·

III. 35·

B7,ad. "Cathedral",

111

Syria

West Facade .

J(ltirbit Ijass. C/turc/t, interior looking towards apse.

Churches of Northern Syria with door-caps

37

which reproduce

profiles

to belong to the fourth century.

·.-.-.-a:::rr::.u::.U:::lJ:::U.::n::::a.-.-.:

prevails

in the

nave arcades

ends are half columns, The capitals

.::rr.::n:::u·.-.-:rr:::rr'-'-.u:.:n::.u:::

with

much

them

show

century. 111. 36. to give short

a nearly

naved

and sixth of the

centuries.

outline

were'

to the nave.

not

unusual

The interior

of the

ornament

columns

These

in the

fifth

here consists

of the nave arcades.

are in two varieties, so far as could be discovered;

one,

of Doric

with

fillets

other

form, having

interlaced

a crude

of the

Klth'bit

small

representation

south

consisting

a bevelled

about

doorways

echinus

symbolic

carved

discs;

the

of the Ionic capital.

is framed

One

and a Rat band.

piers

nine (111. 36). I could discover The

entrances

only one western portal.

to the side chambers

6.

T

HIS

great

tectural

productions

materials.

foothills rock

foothills

to

limestone

most

although limes tone

51

the

the' nave

arches on either

side, and the face

or

medium

Dattsen.

The church

at Dalloza,

is almost

wholly

at Serdjilla,

It lies northeast

the

ruined

in

52.

sixth

in which structure in the

ornament

were

the

buildings are composed, of the two materials, erected

] t will

exclusively

be observed, 82,

92.

III

the

basalt

of the lintels of

is dated

follows

region

373/4

A.D

were employed,

the

of the

methods east,

of the character

strip

in limestone.

basalt is the underlying only by excavating

later

converted

of stone.

into

rock, and

deep pits which

reservoirs

comparatively Usually

for water. few churches

only

the foundations

of the walls, and

the lower courses,

to the height

a meter

together

door

were

or less, supports

with the

the walls was built p. J33, fl/. lSI. P. If, n p. 24.

of basalt,

while

of sun-baked

the

brick

of

frames, the

and niches and, occasionally,

constructed

em-

while the

of the limestone

and is often executed

built

50 P. 11, u. 25

J;[ass.

century church

for one

church

usually

we discover

interior in

a fourth

'Ala,

In. this region entirely

at Khrrbit

both kinds of stone

partakes

often

and is the same

church

SYRIA.

churches ployed

the century

that

the

In

Hass

century

There was in all probability at Ruhaiyeh

surface,

were

of Khirbit

fourth

rolling

into

ruined.

51

smooth

penetrates

is also in the Djebel

dimensions it closely resembles the church but is without the pseudo-transepts.

In the middle

cases, at spots

which

and general

was to be quarried

in certain

will be described

plan

hills to the west.

in the neighbouring

down directly

50

was the

c. p. 100. Pis. 59, 6J, A. II, pp. A. 111 p. 94, ]~ig. 32.

S.

-

of available

was set the

of a fine mosaic pavement

directly in front of the apse which later in this volume.

basalt

part, of a mixture in basalt.

are remnants

RiI)., -

formation

buildings

effect its archi-

latter

of the apse arch were brought

upon this. There

that adjoining

In this strip the

some

off from the others

strip,

the

west, and,

into three Iongi,

strongly

was also available

region.

for the

through

underlying the

the

basalt

which

of the Djebel

Jimestone

where

marked

for the pur·

capitals of the

r\ch angle capitals

against

i

these

been

which terminated

mouldings

above

The

the

of the

have

of the half dome,

CHURCHES OF NORTHEASTERN

de divided,

1n the westernmost

natural

40

conditions

are both doorways

discussion,

strips, each

by geological

but

may

poses of architectural

tudinal

the

region

were

set beside

that

apse

in plan as the

it plain that there

decorations

any

moulding

by M. de Vogue. In the plan presented in La Syrie Centrale, the nave is shown as having six bays; but make

from

and are

of the fifth

of the

Db- Sambil.

measurements

twisted capitals

impost

This church (Ill. 35) takes us back to the Djebel Ril)a, and to a church published in a plan and a sketch

careful

and are carved

,

slightly

in this chapter.

were

Riha,

J:!ass. " (SI,insltara).

hitherto

at both

and Medyleyya.

of the

different

half columns

in good mouldings

of two fascias, a eyma

are

arrangement

quite

described

Clwrclt, pla».

.f/ass.

square

churches

capitals

These

KI,irbit

that

order

(Ill. 37);1 one or more of

of the wind-blown

The

are

and the responds

as at Serdjilla spirit

leaves

that are known

Corinthian

are all well proportioned Classical

the forerunners apse

The

the apse

main body

of

For this reason

Early Churches

111. 37.

most of the plans,

churches

which

mounds

are

J(!l;'·bit f:Iass. Cit/welt, fallen

arc to be studied

generally

well

stones

only in ground

marked

by disintegrated

formed

brick

out

in

the

and in fallen

structural details which were made of stone) and which are generally visible upon the surface, having fallen after

the

middle

mud

strip

buildings baked

walls that

had

constructed brick

that

small group

of a combination

of such

excellent

of later

of basalt

manufacture

tine period.

The

light colour,

appear

was

also

Euphrates,

with limestone of fine texture,

in the ruins

employed,

where

gypsum

seems

to

have

near

the

been

the

tectural

forms,

closely

allied

both

in structure

with

those

hills to the west and northwest, and

called

strip,

Syria.

systems of construction and loped which were peculiar fluenced basalt

in no region

in minor

district

were

Syria,

necessarily built

Syria,

hand

their

inferiors

being

of the

the

only

walls in a different stones

chips and clay;

Syria employed

whole

courses

of the

ground

plans

of the

respect; for the or

widely

and

over

for square

was

show

that

filled

men of the immediate

the masons

stonecutters

of bonding

difficulties

last, often

of these

introduction the

middle

supported

of a aisle

by

at

narrower provided

and

often

furnished

supports

enos

of central and

of this

res-ion "

greater basalt

which

, while

not so

fellow craftsthan their

northwest.

region

to the employment

depar-

plans

freedom and

with

will be

numerous

as their

to the west

plan,

which

of basilical

of plan

displayed

of the side aisles.

vaults,

place, type

of this northern incident

by columns.

features

architects

South,

Northern

proportioned

These

proper

neighbours

in both

aisles.

normal matter

with

which are

many

is the

of dorninical

the

confused

arches

in

across

a few churches

the

to be

carried

also

in

are usually

ordinarily

at the western

the

These

churches

arch

columnar

to tall piers

arches

narthex,

in their

the

support

to

churches buildings

way

broad

is evident

side

higher of their

several

give

towers

are

of

making

but

bay,

the

and

Christian

Northern

plan.

carrying

first

indication

versatile

square,

transverse

a sort of inner

some

arches

those

from

are

and are not

westernmost

arches

in the

which

and the

scheme

majority,

like

high

of

general

There

of the later

peculiarity

larger

but,

Syria,

and

of piers

the

piers

dr~S;d

of Euplt1~atelzs£s follow the

interior

in some nearly

much

the

North.

spaced,

northeastern doorways)

no wise from

nearly

Southern

the

In

of

most

churches

in

differ

lintels

latter

South.

basilical type

from

builders

the

the

the

use ~of

ponderous

construction

characterized

which

tures

.one available.

but) whereas

arches

discussed

builders

in thickness,

for

than

There

In the

manner

using

single

only

the same material

arches,

and

in the

of their

were content In their

hand,

employed

jambs skill

churches,

forms developing the

the

classes

Syria stones.

other

They

great

A

in the

on the left.

for

in better

bonding

the

excelled.

showed

more

stone,

developed

for instance,

faced) of two

in with broken of Southern

the

are

and influenced

and

where precisely

employed,

double

forms

on

stone,

found

But, in the broad

by the architectural

on the right

Southern

them

the

of wall construction,

of this

They

by

dressed

the rectangular

of decoration were deveto the district itself, in-

of Southern

details

so richly matter

way

single

not

limestone

was the only building

with occasional

of square,

which we have grouped

Northern

where basalt

in the

of Northeastern

supports

archi-

and in ornament,

developed

intervals

masons

in this

where rnud-

at Resafah,

chief, if not the only, budding material used. In this district of eastern Ellphl'atellsis the

middle

one

and gypsum. and beautiful

at Isriyeh

and

regular

voussoirs

so far as it has been

eastern strip,

explored, is provided These building stones

together

and

that

at

blocks

It is in this

capitals.

walls, the

builders

to assume that they were imported from famous brick~making centres of the Byzan-

is disposed one of the

brick

disintegrated.

we find

Syria

in

The

faced all the of a very hard

I

I

Churches of Northern Syria medium by;

that

those of Southern

nevertheless

Syria

they accomplished

solution

of their

problems

noticeable

in their

domestic

as well,

they

in

their

churches

and

which

were

practicable

at

hand.

nerally

in the

simple,

projecting

these

relief,

patterns

and

bring

even

earliest

and

bears

an inscription

son,

Arcadius

between

are

but

and jambs

relief

value

were

simple of

of door-

employed

to

of inscriptions. in Northeastern

of Theodosius and

- ..,

Designs

circles,

representations

lintels

in

geand

within

church

Caesar.

of the

devices

not unknown,

crude

upon

letters

dateable

clevermotives

with surface patterns.

out the decorative

The

much

surface carving;

are

such as crosses

forms appear

ways,

the Great

must

therefore

Syria and

be

his

dated

the years 383 and 395 after Christ. ea But there

is at least one church: others.

and

probably

which seem to belong

there

ru.

are several

to the earlier quarters

region, and ornamental details are not abundant enough to form a basi sf or classification according to date.

A. D. At the sixth side, a stone middle

rail,

aisle

chapter

Zebed. Basilica. 54 which may be regarded

in this

region

is a large basilica

It is one of those

in large

part

in the extensive

structures

of mud-brick.

The

lie in the centre

of a large

metrical

mounds

of clay which

monastic

buildings,

itself are traceable

the

of which

lower the

courses

bases

are

ruins of the building formed by sym-

rectangle

mark the remains The outlines

seen the tops

of many of the interior

columns.

the

about

360

situated

A. D.

a few

converted both

a native

bishop

Here

impossible found near

together,

a fine

to

the

below

its full diameter, chambers.

foundations

for these

the

The

and their

surface. bases

and

but it is not might

columns

are of almost

be

'stood

Classical

but no capitals were found, The columns carried

architraves

53

that

buried

profile.

protrudes

tomb

of a profile similar near by which

P. l ll , iu sc. rooe.

to the cap moulding is dated

in the year

of 337

54 A. III p. 301,

The in a

in Greek

inscription This

bishop

of Beroea, to

Edessa.

the

holy he

and

which

name,

is the church and

which

the famous

little

doubt,

about

Rabula and

one

referred

IV, p. 50.

Soon

after this, he

the

in 313 A.D.

to become

of

Rabma retired,

church,

church

in Syria

bishop

a

basilica of Zebed

inscription

of his gifts to the

one of the first to be erected of the Church"

he had, and

to which

The

by

all that

he became

that

to in the

the time of his conversion.

been

and by Acacius,

Kinnesrtn

until

probable

Clialcis,

Having

385, and baptized

poor.

near

to

been born

Roman

west.

sold

the

is known

having

the the

of the monastery

the throne

bishop

of Kinuesrlu,

remained

It is very

the

toward

to Christianity

Eusebius,

monk.

apse

no remains of side

throne".

in Kinnesrln,

miles

to a monastery

The

some

of this region,

retired

are

west.

described

interest.

OUf

It is significan t that

gave

each,

the

be

in Syria, at once suggests

two side aisles by two colonnades there

across the

Bishop of Edessa, (412 to 435 A ..D.), and the sixth century monk, Rabula, of the well known illuminated been

columns

toward

we find a Syriac

made

unique among the churches of the region (Ill. 38), the nave being divided into a very wide middle aisle and of fourteen

entirely

will

now claim

was very common

have

Its' plan is

turns

parapet

one panel

Gospels.

and

then

almost

its inscriptions,

i

"Rabula

of

of the

wh ich were of stone,

Upon says

of

in similar mounds, along

planly

of the walls,

ruins

which was built

all of mud-brick.

the church crests

as the earliest

with posts and panels like those

this

below

from the apse. on the north

extends

and of

some in Syriac, church

column

parapet

of a chancel decoration

The

Zebed. Basilica, plan.

38.

of

the century. The lack of uniformity in plan, however. makes it impossible to classify the earlier churches of this

of Zebed.

"IIIl

but,

j

the limitations

of incised

of grapevine

animal

showed

decorative

mouldings

were often carved

low

in

architecture

of decorative

within

These

nature

!/

in this field. This is parti-

skill in the invention

material

-

were hampered

much more in the

cularly ness

39

is. with made at

was probably after the "Peace

4°

••

e

.. I ., : ~b >,'~."'.7.---

1I'{SCI005

r

INS\ !007

°E

•

~ ...o-~

INS'lq09

I;~e;; '; k ,~o_-'-.;:..;;;J

.... _.M.·

.:I~

:

«.

IN~~~10

INSC'1008

, ',:lta, in 111. 50.

appears west

end

if not, they

j

rich, portal

probably

are the earliest

with a definite

date.

KsMjbe!t, East Clmrclt, S4 1I 4 A.D. In general

proportions,

lows the church those

in the

the church

at Bahiska

south

wall

j

j

bays, the east

wall is straight, entrance

of Ksedjbeh

its only nave

must

with the apse, and has a second,

transverse

been the prothesis,

which

arch, of the

and

are of four varities and

two on opposite

of the capitals

are

has only five

is directly

toward

a portal

baptistery

the west. The

(111. 47 B, C, 0, E,)

which apparently sides of the

are of the inverted

with

the east, a single

toward

columns

con-

arched opening

leads into a .srnall

protruding

interior

fol-

and the south chamber

which

apse

portals

upon the aisle. This chamber,

nected

capitals

have

and

but the

has an arched

form,

of Brad and

ornament

in the corresponding

Paul and

windows

to a rebuilding

moulded

ornament

aisle wall and to

west end. The

reproduced

moulded

belong

of basket

,Cathedral"

the

of Saint

to the south,

(111. 47), like

exterior

of a cast of which

The

with that church,

in the south

in the Church

a diminutive

abaci

it. The

a photograph

of the with

was familiar

in the south side is exceedingly

and was exactly

capitals carved

of

fallen east portal

The

cones

BiibisM. East C/l1lrclt, plait.

sible that the architect

which becomes

were placed two middle

aisle. Two

truncated

cone, or

82 A. Til, 66.

83 P. III, 1074. 1075. Euseblcs is named in another, undated son of Kyrillas was "the buyer and builder." not the architect. &! P. 11, D. p. 158. En tly Churches

,

nave,

unifofl!lly

in the

as the capital

dated

, but the north

of the

truncated

beneath

end

was permitted

in proportion

fifth century.

apparently

east

are those of the south side.

this gives

were

the same

ruinous

details taken

d, ,",

111. 46.

by means of an arch,

bearing

is wider

and

length in

vertical some

church

The only portals

churches

interior

within

is ill a sadly

(Ill. 46), the

bays

curve

temple,

middle

common

and the name

are situated

caps of which are moulded

Pagan

width

almost

I):ita.

discussion

had

to show

aisles

only

but its fallen details have not been disturbed.

resembleel

The

not

type,

All three churches

church

condition;

some

of an unique

of five miles from Dar

The

A. D.,

are

:9 ,~ ,, ''

,i ,i

as

418 A.D., and Kyrios Kasr il-Benar, for the inscriptions

, I

8

j

of Saint Paul and

in an

I,

or

is the same person Church

p ,

in stone.

the two forms employed

refer

tj

~ ~,

to

the same name

R: !

D

II , ,

in

o

iI

,

9

to father and son. It is possible that M. Kyris

perhaps

The

,

place

to have had difficulty

the ancients

and it is not impossible

town of Dar

the name of Eusebios,

inscribed,

and Eusebis

A hand-

of Kyrillas, as a builder,

SOil

names, in Greek

among

by,

near

8~

and as a «senator" (?). These

83

seem often

or having

that

389 A.D.

or shop,

inscriptions

A.D.,

The

after

dated

neighbouring with

Eusebios,

Syrians

educated

inscription

also was an architect.

lintel

mention

seeing

is mentioned

presbyter,

390 A.D."

the lintel of a house,

J.alb

was composed

than and

those of the it is probably

that

has caused

Only

a tower at the

towers, The

has been actually

"17

-

an iuterestinz an~

of an arched

and its east end shows apse,

however,

Ill.

was

5 .. C PIs. 130, 132-136.

A. II, p. 196.

Bii1t~i?,l'tSii. Soutlt Clmrc/t, capital (after de Vogi;;).

13 2.

218 S. C. PIs.

65,

its

of the south wall are

of the structure

chapter

Lauzeh

of

of the Djebel Rll!a

and a long stretch

the remainder

The

with a plate

the larzest of this b

was

of its details

window

columns.

21'

of Northern

to the angle

four window

in books

conforming

churches

its

the

of the west

of a cross.

The

whole,

parts

of

in La Syrie as

most

the

has served on the

Though

combination narthex

on

towers

those of Kalb Lauzeh.

a circular

basing

work.

northern assignment

in the

this church

j

but

of

is given

its nave is concerned, Ban~Qa

building

(fII. 98).

monasteries

usual

dates

of the apse wall instead of

Plain. This church has been made familiar of architecture through the plates of La

Syrie Centrale, which have in many

drawings

section

only a small

i

a quarry

the Sermeda to students

the

century

than

the

in the southern

writers,

church

centuries; are,

Del' Termiinin. Clmrclt.

basilica

SOUle

The

form

It is situated

Riha.

up. a loggia

of Ban!;Osa,

in relief, and the

exterior in

higher

each

In the

great

sixth

the cornice.

was

had

ljltss. Soutlt CI",rc!,.

mouldinzs b

set

with conchas

at Kal'at

a

the openings.

were

of tracery

The

and

them

scheme

the

ressauts

higher

In its ornament

were

adorned

a storey

ends

one

of the windowsills

of the half dome.

gable

returned.

shows a base moulding,

the level

relief and are

Between

impost caps

The exterior

course

The

which

were

general

mouldings

projecting

brackets

facade

the

all the

from

from

the pier are

followed

that

rose

through

The

church

colonnettes

to the

ovolo,

adorned

them.

plain

and its half dome seven-sided.

except

of

inj ure its destroyers.

uncarved

mouldings

building

spared

fear that moulding

would

of the

Biialptsii. Sontl: CIt1wc!" plan.

13r.

66.

A. II} p. 219.

Churches of Northern Syria

Ill.

133.

carried

off, leaving only a few foundation

which,

with the aid of M. de Vogue's

is easily probably within

chambers was carried shows unusual

beyond

and probably

up in a high

an open The

was

from

wall. The apse was flanked by square

which project

chamber,

end.

stones,

plate, the plan

drawn (Ill. 134). There was a long nave, of nine bays. The foundations show an apse

a straight

south

'Arstu».

narthex

interior

tower. of eight

arrangement

to the south

across chamber

The

also the north chamber,

(Ill. 135). The bema

carried

the nave walls.

angle are

A

deep

of the tower;

entirely

almost

the

Egyptian the

the

wall,

at the

west

caps. The exterior

east end

was and

arcuated

windows

cornice

is a high

in form.

openings

the

third

surmounted

higher

than

CLASS

there was a crypt under the bema. The prothesis, as we may call this south chamber, was thus in an upper

two

large

unusual on the and

windows

dimensions,

to the quite

east (fl!. 136). The south

nine

very

large

windows,

by outside door-

prothesis

south, equal

and

above

it

cavetto ,

string

course

the cornice is pierced

of

with

with moulded windowwithout

bases

2

most of them

The

the

or caps, from top to bottom of the tower. The remains of this church are extremely interesting.

it has the form of a fluted Corinthian pilaster. A low doorway in the wall of the side chamber shows that

on the east and south.

storey

angles have pilasters,

Basilicas witlt Rectangular

ways

above

entire

The entrance

two metres

The lower storey was entered

A moulded

at a level

the floor-level of the nave. The eastern respond of the south arcade is elevated to this same height, and

storey.

the

around

The

and

columns of the

runs

is carried

great

tower

rectangular

moulding

wall, and

plain.

encircles aisle

string

aisle

plan

chambers.

is over

ornament. length

of apse.

M. de Vogue's

was much elevated

the side

C117l1'clt,exterior

two

to Gothic

itself

There

are

eighteen

Sanctuaries

churches

smaller

structures,

belonging some

to this class, very plain, and

r;:==r=====E3CE=r::===::E=El==r:::ES~. ::~:.:cr_:.::::a.~:~-_-_o.:.:.:.:n.:.: '::0::':::0:.: .: u::. __: n __:::..-_

had

of very windows,

wall had two portals seven

of which

have

been preserved. The doorways have mouled relieving arches above them, and their frames and door-caps are mouldings of elaborate profile, but devoid of carved

L':::::J;;;J:J;;;_=_=-==-=-=;;;oO=_=-IE=-=-I • Il!.

134.

;:rass.

SOl/til Clmrcl"

pIau.

.,31'-

132

Early Churches in Syria

Ill. 135. Hdss. Soutl: CIt1trclt, interior looking Southeast.

Ill. 136. ijass. Soutlt Clmrclt, exterior tro»s tli- S t' J' Oil ". 0

Churches of Northern. Syria

133

.

--~

.........

"

(,

~

..sECTION A-B'

BAJ:(IQHA· WEST CHVRCH· DATE: 50 lAn

Ill. 137. others

extremely

rences

have to do chiefly

narthex,

rich in their decorations. Their diffewith the disposition

and with the arrangement

of the

of the roofs

at

the east end, where most of the churches have lean-to roofs,

but where a few are covered

of the churches

main

gable

have

roof

piers and

class.

It will

arches

219

of

A. II. p. 190,

noticed

that

in the Djebel

others are in the immediate

of these

in place

be

group are situated

by a continuation

of the nave. Three broad

columns and narrow arches, but these

P. II.

B.

p. 195.

all

fall into another but

three

of the

Bstr-isha, and that the

neighbourhood.

Early Churches

134

Syria.

In

I:

"I',

Iw:=_o_:::::::o:::-=:n::::-.-.+-I II!. 140. DeI.'es.West Clttl1'c1t,plmz.

111. 138. Khirbi: Hasan, Clwrclt, plan.

which

compose

The century upon

was the

gateway

the

church,

the

time

when

appears

the

earlier

I say, present

structure.

visible

Foundations

are Ionic capitals all the marks

of the

structure

gateway

wall;

all

down. details and

rest of the

details

in the east

in each

are

end,

new.

Heavy

of the

windows,

mouldings

Two of these

are carried over the

draped

in a festoon

between

moulding.

are grooved

At

the

angles

and a similar

pilaster

disc below its cap, is directly date

this wall,

is actually

the use of pilasters in the Christian

Kltirbit Hasan. The

church

220

the

dated

architecture

parish,

and

must

have

to

purchase

would

them,

been

or

have

been

used

to

fold, and

The

West

Church

of

Its nave

both on the

has two windows; by extensions

of the

aisle

lean-to

roof at right angles to the others. The exterior

ornament incised 220

consists of the cornices

mouldings A. U. p. 199.

of the windows

was covered

by a

of the side cham bers Littmann,

by

is now a sheep-

as such for centuries.

,

is a little smaller than is almost the same.

ends.

interior

The incised

constituted

A. IV1 p. 151 insc. 6.

the sanctuary

side

was a columned columns

type.

and one to the with closed

capitals

of a plain,

hac!

which

were all provided

were

confined

moul dincs

ZZ2

and

" ornament.

the exterior A

has

on the north,

narthex

The windows

window

sanctuary

was an arch. There

on the north

mouldings These

but

to the prothesis

portal

uncut Corinthian

cornice

at Dehes

into the d iacouicon,

there

openings.

222

two windows;

opening

west where

with

of the walls, and the

2Z1

was lighted

was a single

the side chambers are square and have one east window sanctuary

Hasan

served

had three bays, and its rectangular

and the entrance

roofs. The

than could have

upon a building of

(It!. 140) but its plan

bays (Ill. 138) and there are two entrances,

were covered

more

of Khirbit

for the amount

j

Di!tes. West C1t1wcltand East CIt",.c1t.

a doorway

side chambers

in barter to pay

arches have fallen, but some of the columns

the churches of the sixth century. It was built of very large quad rated blocks of stone. The nave has four

each. These

used

materials

have been re-erected and their supports have been added to carry a crude roof of tree-trunks, wattles and earth.

the foregoing

south wall. The rectangular sanctuary

beans, wheat and

of the people of the

workmen

probably

the costs

of

of Syria.

is one of the plainest

been

the

is made renders

The

gifts

considerably

church

has

The interior

the

feed

this size. The

of

of building. It reads

of determining

standards.

labourers

507 A.D.

at this place

to modern

are

date

The inscription is

cost

us as a means

and

example

a broad band which

in which the statement

to

probably

with

with a

it is one ofthe few which

of the

were

in the middle of the wall.

of the gateway

above in Syriac.

because

subject

that the form according

with an ornamental

we have here the earliest

discs

is ornamented

In ttte year five lsutuired and fifty six, according to tlte era of Antioch, t1tis churct: 'was completed. And there 'were spent upon it tigltty five darics, and four Ittmdred and tltirty busltels of beans, wlteat, and lentils, besides the cltief expenses. 221 It is unfortunate

arches

pilasters

other

lentils

curve of the

of trapezoidal

is adorned with bands

as follows:

it useless

two in the sanctuary

the downward

If the

thrown

decorative four

disc or boss, appears above caps,

been

east

in spiral loops (Ill. 229). An ornamental

and terminate

foliate

adjoins the

were

of the side chambers.

in situ.

The

the

inscription

apse

work.

There

ornamental

a long

interesting

in the end of the fifth century

which

of

the

is

has

row

mentions

(Ill. [37)

of the

middle,

unusually

and

many

the

an

inscription,

building

in

bears

consist

carving (III. 139) with a large ornamental

of fine pattern disc

suggest

is standing

dated

decorations

are

sanctuary century

portal

in relief, one of which

there

and the lintel of a doorway

which

which appeared

at

church

of a semicircular

wall embodies

other

windows one

the

This

side of

of the

because

of fourth

with the

but

erected

of the ruins which

and there part

structure

inside the rectangular

have

itself,

have been

structure,

that the

to

present

in the debris

remains

upon the church

to the close on the north

which

was built;

are

not written

only

door-caps

frames around the openings.

complete

II,

206.

the

to the main

Churches of Northern Syria

Itt. '39.

III.

J4I.

Kftirbit Hasan, C/l1Irelt,exterior frons the Sontti.

DeI}es. East Oll/relt, portal in South wall.

135

Etly

Churches

Syria

111

•

-

•

-

Itt. 144. Ksedjbelt. C1mrclt, ptan.

,

if'-I---------l rHt t-.•

The

East

Church

so completely ately

drawn,

type

and

of this same deserted

223

ruined that

size as the West

Church.

leaves.

end of the

south

wall,

an interesting

frame mouldings

door-cap ornamented

One

The

preserves

(Ill. [41) with cusped

bevel-faced

is

to have been of the same

part of which is still standing, portal

town

its plan could not be accur-

but it appears

with upright

lintel

bears

and a arched

the same type and

Church"

in this same ruined

east and

the

south

the building mouldings

that and

capitals

are

(lit. 143). Only the

standing,

but

the

are continued

often

aas

dimensions is "Trinity

town

walls are

is in ruins;

another

from

terminate

of the

responds

type

(Itt. 262).

Btint1tl!~~a.Cltuycll.

are

in

of

all the rest of

windows

have deep

one opening to

loops.

of a well cut Corinthian

caps

acanthus

a small

"CIt1",clt of tlte Trinity".

Of exactly

Da'r K.ita. Cll1,,-c/t 0" :; tlte Trinity, ptan.

J43.

ssa:

Dar

West

The interior

design, and the

a beautiful

wind-blown

226

panel of relief carving, the other a torch or lamp-stand. The

window

tinuous.

mouldings

are incised

In the same

group

church is a very interesting in these pages.

and are not

of buildings baptistery

The

con-

with

this

described

later

the

church

others,

is attached which

sill-level

A church somewhat larger than either of the foregoing Sergios' at Dar Kita (Ill. 142). Here the east

is Saint

end is almost of the interior bays

perfectly

west

supports there

j

preserved,

wall is standing; have

collapsed.

was a western

The nave

narthex

of four

between

entrance

in either aisle, the north portals being provided

distyle

continuous which

porches, colonnade

adjoins

building

and

the southeast

shows

prothesis

south

aisle

i

the

south

terminating

side

and heavy

of the

but the diaconicon ornament

of

rather

crude

imitation

of the portal of the

Moses in the 418 A.D. (cf. Itt. 50). 223 226 228

the

great

same

which

224

•

A. II, p.

of the

up into a is a

church

of

is dated

202.

returned

along

a short

outward at

distance only

221

of Dera'rnan belongs to the same

Church

two

south

A completely the large

portals

and moulded windows,

were

P.

II, n.

ruined church

ruin of Kokonaya

to this class. but this

Only a part

shows

protected

by distyle

as well

a string moulding

it is inhabited; under same

as

but those

p. 184.

and window mouldand a deep cornice.

it certainly

P. II,

220

S. C. PI. 121.

p.

Ilt.

240.

A.

and

of the 225

227

in the form of

"0

discussion,

B.

ornament

of Kefr Klla is difficult

The church

part of

to have belonged

of the north wall is standing;

as a fine doorway

Kefr Kiia, Clmrclt.

type

in the southern

appears

rich interior

a base moulding, ings,

the

A. II, p. 205. A. II. p. 208, Fig. 82. S. C. PI. 120. A. 11) p. 213.

are

Kfjkaltaya. Clturclt. aa

The

west portal

town,

but the mouldings of the

i

It had a base moulding

and its porches.

a

cornices;

roof

was carried

The and

having

mouldings which are not was covered by a lean-to,

by a continuation

West

group.

though a The church

side

angle of the church.

tower. Paul

two

against the baptistery

a base moulding

the windows have relief continuous. The sanctuary the

and ...there were

four

columns with

end walls,

had

consisting

The

and

angle.

cut off.

West Clmrclt.

De1~ac1fta1t.

and the lower storey

but the side walls

carried

no respect from

is concerned,

are incised,

and

to be sharply

III

to its southeast

a base moulding

windows, the

differs

so far as its plan

baptistery is without

Dar Jr-ita. Clmrclt of St. Sergios.224 537 and 567 A.D.

of Barnukka

A.

its

has the plan of the dimensions

church

n.

242.

II, p. 216 .

to stndy because

p. 212.

are about

at Dehes.

One of

P. II, p. 187.

I

Churches of Northern Syria. D

M'~:"':. Al IlI1

ill

11+--- 1:1.,56--_111

IN

sc.

to 8" foil

•

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RESIDENCE

,II '" I

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ORIGINALWALLS'

~

LATER

SCALE"

ttt.

169.

FLAN: o.oos.s- 1M· ELEVATiON' o.ooS-·lM·

...

Early Churches in Syria and side chambers,

a few showing

the exterior

of the apse, but only one with a rectangular A number

of the churches

in a few

the apse and side chambers

but

in

the

durable

majority

material,

Kerriitln,

sanctuary.

were built entirely

only

the

the rest

curve

narthex cruciform

of basalt;

for

of stone,

interior

were

foundations

were

of

being of mud-brick,

details

278

This

church

that

was

Greek,

of all

at least

building

the

first storey.

Merchants",

The Arabs

for it had

buildings,

though

columns

of stone

and

called it »Tarrutln

important

of stone,

arches

of

as high as of the

markets.

But

were not well built.

buildings

of different

shows

the

walls

were not made

earthquake,

to withstand

with the result

are a vast field of fallen arches

and

columns

that

walls,

rise

to

region,

either

side.

The

the

shocks

of the city

from which

occasional

a height

which I have called

of fo ur or five

sin ale b

church

that

Syria,

being

about

was probably

has

been

60 m.

dedicated

Holy

First

Martyre.

the

end

of the Christian conquest,

fortress, angles

and

standing tell.

in the

them,

interior

of mud,

of the tops

level

some

so

that

made

seven

arches

semicircle visible

between

provided through

with arches

consisted

plan and

narthex

of the apse

of

four

side

interior transverse

up to and

arches

borne

278

The P. H,

important B.

p. 73 f.

and

279

feature

A. II, p. 305,

ra.

being

having four

entirely

forming

piers on

rectangular,

a hexagonal figure

relief,

that

erected

by

barracks

at

fortress of

and The

in the

bays.

west

portal cross

grapevine

city of il-

Its nave was was flanked by

was probably The

portals

of the

and 14.56 m, wide. and

nave

broad

enclosure

basalt.

deep

an ornamental end,

the

13.70 m. long

three

conventionalized at either

or

southern

of the

containing

558 A.D.

280

of

broad

into and

have

lintels

of the

inscriptions

is enriched and

divided in

by a disc

a band of highly

terminating

in a chalice

all in low relief. The church was probably that

"Munificent

the same

Thomas"

who built the

558 A.D.

time,

Z:1-Allde1~£1Z. "Catltedl'al".281 fine

of

stone

and

25m.

standing

and

in

place.

has

a small

opened at

of this 305.

square

to

in their

the

exterior, into of

by

three 280

side

piers

is the

south.

the doorways are

curve

of the apse, with

between The

diaconicon, on

connected

with

the apse and

the

Both

east walls;

aisle. aisle

P. 11, B. p. 50, PI. VIII.

now have wide

arches that

the half brick. on

The prothesis and an exterior

chambers these

and I believe

arches

the walls of

chambers. upon

small apses,

and west ends are

and

upon the south

sun-baked

broad

region

(Ill. 170) which was It was about 43 m. long

of the

doorway

portal

opened

this

Parts of its east

is directly

perhaps

in

A.D.

of Audrona,

A part

arches the

560

in it, is displayed

has an archway

on

church

its interior

five windows large

eire,

throughout.

wide.

north,

were

large

Cathedral

built

the

on two columns

interesting

but its

in plan, is flanked

not

entirely

chambers.

the

the end 'of the main aisle, and square apartments composed of four arches, at the ends of the side aisles.

side

entire

upon the ends of the aisles. The narthex

of three

built

was

piers

still is

in it, was and

long,

512. The

rectangular

middle

barracks

square,

original

which

arches,

by

in the

was

apse

so-called

church

of the

chambers

nearly The

.Another

underground

five windows

to the apse

square

Ander1n,

level.

walls,

the

great

them.

walls and roofed

are in situ. The

with

square

to the same

have become

the

still high,

behind

fortification

are

date

can not

the whole is filled

out (Ill. 169), of the

sides.

over four metres

of the

Nevertheless,

easily

a ruin, one

church

western

the

was

The

at

into a

long

m.

three

,1-Andertll. Barrack CI",rcl,.

large

the walls

church

partition

of the interior rooms

chambers.

two

the

the walls are reduced

the

after

against

all the structure

was filled with

either

converted

of the

are

date,

the ground,

it.

It

were set at the four

while

walls

conceal

structures

far in

wide.

or soon

was

towers

middle

battering

thus

26 m,

early

or after it had become

The

The

an period

was done

and completely Above

and

walls were erected

church, and stout this

long

church

of the Whether

is the largest

discovered

At

the

battering

The great

in the name of Saint Stephen,

the

Moslem

the Cathedral,

next

the

horseshoe

which

a trilingual in

with 28

by

for the inscription

portal,

with

level

apse,

chambers

chiefly

of

the ruins

metres above the masses of broken' stone. church

but

of the

512 A.D.

210

its main

about

The

about

in the whole

a nave separated

the walls

city

buttresses

arrangement

out and all the ornamental

Syriac,

bays

than

of any other

and

broad

were well made, and often far more richly ornamented those

upon

is now almost

by side

projecting

The

is of interest

carved

the kinds

which are

disappeared.

Arabic

plan

buttresses

exterior

arches.

not be made

hav~

Most of its buildings

built

provided

transverse could

505/5 A.D. Ancient Tarutia was a large city. were

and

the

Zeoed, Church of St. Sergios,

(Tarntia). "Cat/ltd/"at" of St. Step hen:

kinds

is the set of four exterior

The either

are unfinished they

domes

originally

of which were

nave

was divided

side, carried upon 281

P.

II. B. p. 52 f.

Churches of Northeastern

,sECTION

Syria

A-B·

'59

.~. 2.'10

2.40,

i.12 A~:

1:>.'01°1

1.00

;.6~

2..."

:

~ :

106 .

a.c 1.10

a az

A )

".

b.IO

'0."-'-- -_.-

aJ

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,

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,

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• 1 ,, ,,

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B

---"-0--

IL-ANDERIN' 'CATHEDRAL'

1 :

'

'

~ 2.2.7 20.

, -M~:: _. _~~.::.e__

'

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'0

Ill. '70.

Early Churches

160

Syria

111

@ CISTERN·

NAVY}..'

DATE-'-"!'

CHVRCH'

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Nazoa. Cluwc!t, pIau, Date: 598/9' A.D.

Ill. 171 two

slender

piers

piers.

supporting

side

aisles

interior and

the

and narrow

narthex.

the

At

a broad

end were

west

in the

two

angles,

were carried up in tribunes

which,

011

large

window.

jambs An

The side

windows

window

The ornament figures

Since

this

The

building

and

71).

one

voussoirs. that

the

was built

rare in Syria,

typical

IS

part

The

it may

be

with

in 558.

There

supports

with inscriptions

atrium,

set

two the

The lintels in large

and the

all the

apse piers

portals South

rest was

opens

directly

on either

is the

side

of the church

capitals

of

courses

the nave was divided

rectangular

were

churches

and arches

of basalt;

in the west front. interest.

of the

of which

West

in the bays

Church

the lower built

of

dated

bears

courses stone,

West

east

end

the

nave

all

had

its

nave

nave.

Of these three, the

late

date 606 A.D. Only

of the walls is the

of the

main

smallest

its plan

side chambers,

is su bstantially the same,

wider

arches

carried by only

either

side.

At

small

towers

A

North Church

in plan. The South

of two portal.

capital

the west front are

and the Song of Solomon, in praise of the church.

on either side

in the South Church

of this volume (Ill. 267). portal of the West Church

in the second part

An inscription

on the south

Tltis house 0.1 tlte Itoly fatlter (or abbot) Barap s (?) was built in tlte 9I8tlt year. i.e. 606 A.D. In Mir'ayeh, near the east end of the ruined us

that

town,

are the

could

not

20

m. long

There low

are walled

remains of a church,

be perfectly and

made

exedra

of

the plan of which,

out.

was divided

remains

The nave was about

by arches on columns.

a mosaic

near the

C'.',U~""'~:

pavement,

middle

:Q: ::0',-" I.L

__ ,

I!!. 172. jJllu'allal,!, yVest Clturclt, pIau.

II, p. 305 f. 284

P. II,

H.

and of a

of the church.

t:

in high

from the Psalms of

The

of the group. Its

between

but it is identical

on

is illustrated

easily.traced.

(/!I. 172). The

six bays

foundations

of these churches were were

of an apse

has much

four columns the

columns

of the

Church

larger,

in Mucalla~, in

substitute

the very

Church is still larger; but

which

yet the plans

consists

is a little

churches

of

are not

letters

283 A.

for piers

of three

il-Hass,

was

David

n. p. 13 f.

a group

aisles

The inscriptions

P. II,

is

Djebel

into

relief.

282

are verses

There the

side

of the portals are adorned

and beautiful

Mu'a!!al,!. 283 606 A.D.

tells

of Syria. The lower

deeply

by three

a colonnaded without

the

used in the barracks.

was erected

both side chambers, J

of small

that

is about contemporary

of its portals were

(fll.

shows

It is evident

that

is very

walls, its interior

bays

but the

dome of the apse

which

in this

mud-brick.

upon

one

of the lintel of the entrance

like

at Nawa

period

four

with

598 A.D.

'82

frames

one of

in low relief have been hacked

The half

material

church

of its

or towers,

prothesis

discs.

that the church

other

Nawa.

of

and

of good brick,

assumed

by the

of the portals was very flat and consisted bands

prothesis.

in part

portal,

formed

preserved

composed

from the upper part

to the

the

on a side, are still in place.

in the

of two peacocks

away

the

over

walls have collapsed,

were large and

of moulded

the

partly

of the portals, two

arched

the

is

arches

wall had but one

arches,

the south,

cruciform

arch across

longitudinal

The

squares

west

transverse

p. 69, ill. 74.

284

Churches of Northeastern

fit. '73.

il-Firdjet, t, The

2S'

only

known

to

which

In

all

this

eight

is the little church

metres

length

region

which

that

sanctuary

from

are two walls of about

terminate

at the angles

of

square chapel with a deep set apse enclosed

in rectangular

walls protruding

entered

only by a doorway

the

building

was a baptistery,

has and

been discovered thus far in Northeastern its position would be unique among the

baptisteries

of all Syria.

in the south

If

wall.

it is the only one that

This

is the position

Syria, known

that

the cult of the Virgin favour

here;

whether

this

Lady the

might

chapel.

was

an

toward

the

then west

west,

the

was much

have been a very

the

middle

aisle

ends

of the

a distance

space

of the

between

of the

there

the sides of the

curve

2S'

A step

in advance

Syria

from the Euphrates, fortress, B.

in the

p.

takes

a large

and

piers

to within

ruined

the

was

other

the basilicas

town,

the remains

walled

Moreover, detail.

a large

Sergios,

the

Two

a little One

farther

of the

which contained

other

was

have contained

perhaps

former

a monastic

the throne of a bishop.

by Procopius,

who says that

centre

far like

of no less

after the Moslem

we know

earlier

more

history.

The

about

its

great Arab

conquest, later

that

there

adorned

was

a church

on the

outside

states that the Khalif

physician,

here

i

that

chiefly

in

by

an-Nu'man, built

by

was much

his

own day

who

was

Hisha.m,

and

the that

as

an

mosaics. place it

and

says

that

were monks

men

in it. In 1247 the place was

tell.

How

of the

much two

It is certain

that

III Jahrgang

19°9,

about

and

1225,

of beauty,

other

religious

destroyed

by the

churches, erected

to one or the one

can

Churches in Syria.

not

long before

p. 99 f.

Reise im Euphral-mld-Tigris-Gebiet, 19.26.

was

and there

was a wonder

both were

to

YakClt, an Arab

of all this refers

important

fortress

eyewitness

which

Mongols.

was inhabited

once belonged

there.

a con vent

other

He further

The

mentions

there

fortifications,

was populous,

and selling

writing

Ibn Butldn,

the

a Christian.

the place

buying

its

(724-743 A.D.) resided

Hisham

Christians,

about

1050. He writes

within

with gold

it appears

than

Aed. JIISt. B. 11) IX. Palestine 1tl1dI!1" tlu lI-fosiems, pp. 36,432,521-523.

Sane und Herzfeld, Arc!liiologisclu H. Spanner und S. Guyer, Husafn,

on,

the relics

70.

KU.IIS/wissenschaftl

and

of the churches are

basilica.

is mentioned

a rougher

the churches show

and are discussed

the Martyrion

geographer,

us to Sergiopolis not

and containing

286 F. Serre. Afolla/sllt/le jiir Procopins. Lestrange,

development

ornamental

as the limestone

have

was a guest of the bishop here about

being

[Sergiopolis}. Cltlwcl. of St. Sergios.

of Northeastern

Early

comes

so high a finish, for the walls

that

is an

a metre's

execlra and the

given

plan,

it was

in such large blocks,

Syria,

of central

have been the The stone was

by photographs,

quarried

of Northern less carved

were

Christian

in

of the west wall of the nave.

Re,lifal s,

P. II,

is hardly

churches

early

equal to its radius

nave, and the western

four metres

a huge

nave,

The handsome

the city wall was built by Justinian; and since Sergiopolis was one of the few places which flourished as a

returned inward to form a narrow gate. This wall with its little entrance is exactly 011 the line

but judging being

or of being

The church

a semicircle

semicircle

of

church and may

into three bays and there In

kinds.

as to

is divided

of a low wall describing

westward

bisecting

28~

-

one,

not capable

of Saint

of many

to speculate

of the church

narthex.

consisting

produced

nave

way, by piers,

enclosed

exedra

Theotokos

possibly

The

ordinary

-

it is interesting

a beautiful

was probably

Lady chapels in the Mediaeval churches of Europe, and this region abounds in inscriptions which show in

of different

the walls, and the two great

more irregular appearance.

to the east. This chapel

was

four churches

built of gypsum, which appears to chief building material of the locality.

(Ilt. 173)

eastward

161

Clm1"cI., pia".

city gates,

is

between

of il-Firdjeh

Extending

walls of the sanctuary

a small

great

have had a rectangular

has other peculiarities.

side

t,

than

church

side chambers the

it-Firdje).

Syria

1920, IT, pp. 1-45.

21

Early Churches

Syria

in

nave

were

built

like those the

two

the

clearstorey

and,

up

great

at

piers

were

longitudinal where The

apparently

but

the

that

th_ere were

plan

plan

lit. 174. Re,afalt. Cit/wei, of St. Sergios, plan (after Herzfeld). the

Hegira,

begun

Ibn

by order

have

a way

famous

Butlan

of giving to

large

building century.

one

for

given

Constantine,

been

This to

responsible

seems as

for them.

emperor

had

years

likely

erected,

periods but,

basilica

completion.

eliminate

only two the

military

third,

additions

As it stands

The

original

long and horseshoe square

were

for

remains

its

19·50 m. wide. in plan

and

side chambers,

three

both

east.

bays

by

cruciform

The arches piers

carried

a broad

narrow

transverse

narrow

arches

nave

carried at

the arches

over

members,

S. Guyer,

op. cit.,

into ends

arch over over

three

crucifor-m

western

of

the

was

toward

the

of the cruciform

the

aisle,

and two bounded

Rusafa, :J'

work with

the

great

the

1'0. fl, ..

a

church

early

thay

are

stonework,

The which

were inserted

every

Syria, after

mark

shown

of sixth

and were probably

some the

were city,

but

columns with

to give greater

security to

earthquake,

original

well

building of

pillaged

from some other

of which

at least two, of

in

town. In this case it would date of the alteration. 201 13,

west end.

in with poor masonry

bear

after

Herzfeld's

map of the

be impossible

to fix the

288 Op. cit., III Abb. 133') III, PIs. LVIII. LIX, d h h ' oes not s ow t esc exterior buttresses.

construction of the origin J basilica to h ' ...... t e reign in the first half of the IXth century.

( 4 9 I-51 8) ,all d Itclds that the first rebuilding was done

filled

arches,

in the

t lie

by columns set

in good

capitals,

years

unless

and at

each of the

and half way between them.

of Northern their

day consisted

under

supported

up

sub-arches,

perhaps

plan,

(p. 102), on the

a later

brickwork.

arches,

j

Sim'an

arcade

were

hundred

building

of Saint Simeon

of a modi Ilion cornice,

of

built

Corinthian

inserted,

basilical

piers- of the

above

century

and this

of the diaconicon zoo and

were

like inferior the

church

sub-arches

main

were

uncut carry

within

west. The

op. b. lIO and J.)le Baulumst der Armenier Ir Abb 5'9) which are both ,

in the

same

Northeastern

uP, by piers and columns, suggested by the Martyrion

region

of Syria. This

into a central square, at Resdfah (lIJ. 177).

general

similarity

covered

by

makes it seem a dome

and

likely

buttressed

that

the interior

by great

apsidal

of the

1

.,),

church

niches

at FacICII was divided

in some

such manner as is

J

310 SUITe und Herzfeld, Archiiolpgisclu Reise im Euphrat.ullr/.Tig·ris Cebil!!, II, PI'. 28-38. H. Spanner und S. Guyer, Rusaf«} 19 , 26 pp. 35-38, 56-62. JII Th 1 fl' . . e p nn o. tll~ c111IlCh at Resdfah recalls even more closely the suggested restoration of the church of the Virgin (El Hadr(/.) nt Arnidn ~Strzygowskl, Die Batekllnst dtr Armel/ier 1I1ld Europa, IT, p. 5031 Abb. 539) and was probably vaulted in a manner suggested by the cruciform nrrangCll1eOl of vaults over the palace at I::n~l" Ibn Wardnn (Straygowskl, Amid:l, pp. 22I~223). 312 S:J.rre und J Ierzfeld , op. ciL, pp. 29-30.

Churches

of Northeastern Syria

t\A;:> R IBN\"/ARDAN CHVRCH· LONGITVDlNALSECT10N-

III.

178.

.

r67

Early Churches

168

In

Syria

7/1. 179. Kasr Ib" r,yardiin. Clturclt,exserior from tlte East. grapevine

growing out of vases at the ends, like several

examples

in Northern

are

beads

which

e. g. Kalb Lauzeh.

and egg-and-dart

interspersed

There

with

leaves,

might have come from Kal'at Sim'an, the minute

crenellation, in the two

Syria,

and the narrow

country

small

further

running

west,

roundels between

taean

patterns

other

patterns,

the inverted

are found eggs

are more like the

from Southern not easily

vine,

Syria;

but

with N aha-

there

are

made out in the photograph,

which are not found in other Christian or Pagan dings in Syria so far as I know.

Ira{r Ibn WMdall: Cluwclt. This

church

buildings, palace

belongs

to

and this church.

All

of basalt

and kiln-dried elaborate

had domes.

three buildings

brick

as

basalt

The palace is definitely

of

a large

were built

of the best quality,

vault structures,

as well

group

or barracks,

all

and two, at least,

The church and palace included

marble,

materials.

extraordinary

made up of a fortress,

possessed and

564 A.D.

313

an

buil-

and dated

brick,

limestone in

their

by an inscrip-

tion of the year 564 A.D. and there can be no doubt that

the

entire group was erected

and probably

under foreign

at the same

influence.

time,

The aim of the

Churches of Northeastern

Syria RESTORATION'

LONGITVDlNAL

SECTION· 3CALE.o.oO!l-·lM·

".'0 ..

0

IL-ANDERiN'

.:;""21-=:''II':>.

..

,.~;.;""~

; ....' 1,.'0

DOMED CHAPEL·

/

IN5c.9:l.~-

PLAN

SCAL::,;:.o.co~S·lM·

Itt, r80. braced

by a wide wall

springing

of the great

west

were built to form

top,

and

which

a solid rectangle,

the circular

below. The dome

of its substructure

that each pendentive (fl!. 178) and

each

remains

there

nating

bands

of brickwork

Above

this

point

the

Frames

of limestone

structure

appeared

were inserted

At the

the lower storey, and marble columns

in both storeys,

marble

string

exception brick,

course.

of the

and it is to be noted

embracing

particularly

gallery

are noo centred arches,

pointed

apse

effect

is confined

arch

and

to their

the

form.

to the flat carving

portals.

of

smaller

angles,

piers which,

arches

square (111. 180). chambers, with

at the

piers

the cruciform

covered

arms

the same hesitated above

corresponding

to

by a half dome

of the interior material.

In

cross,

my

the

side chambers

were of stone. The of mud-brick,

restoration

I have

The

interior

the

crossing

and

it may

very

ornament

consists

marble

and

of

of the

moulded

divides

the

string

course

two storeys.

of

yellow

marble

of the capitals is not Syrian in the sense that it

resembles

which

the

The

other work in the churches herein described.

are bits of mosaic lying in the ruins which suggest parts

of the interior

were encrusted

with colour. 110M-

FRoM E·HBR'lF£LD

it-Anderin. Central C/mrclt. This

little

church,

built

1I1':!

Il].

in j'ntjillmenl of a vow by 314

Early

Churches

in Syria.

P. II,

B,

not

well be that

and

of the basalt lintels

decoration

of

to place a tall, sugar-loaf dome on pendentives

which gives a plainly The exterior

the

by tunnel vaults

that the great

arches of aisles

beside

middle of the outer bounded by broad

connecting

All the piers and arches

apse was other

the

carving

that

side

marble columns with their richly carved capitals

of white

There

and

wall arches over the gallery, the wide tunnel

the

yellow

western

by a

with

it easily

of its class

mound of disinte-

is almost perfectly

is an apse

cruciform

and

opposite.

of those of the apse windows were made of

vaults,

the

arches,

was of brick.

arches,

that

others

piers with flat piers in the walls, made squares in the

was used for the interior

All

of

but its stone portions are so disposed

outline

east

west, two

outside and inside.

which were separated

as

the apse, formed a square in the square. This inner square was

in all,

in the windows

in this part

for it was made

materials

overlooked,

It is now a mere

were.

ease. The

in

storey windows (fl!. 179)'

entire

The same use of materials

6 bands

common

a type

in the ruin that the plan was drawn and measured with

The walls of the

and basalt,

more

of perishable been

grated mud-brick;

church, up to the level of the lintels of the portals, were of solid blocks of basalt, above this, of alterto the sill level of the upper

probably

the ruins would indicate;

have

possibly

to

was a window

wall between the pendentives.

might

by an arched

was pierced

that

was

up so largely

dome. Inside this exterior

by the mass of the rectangle

window

which

Syria than

rose an octagon which were also

but enough

Eukios, Sopltia and their cltild1"eu, presents

flat on the

pendentives

fallen;

show

the and

were the actual

braced has

The spaces above vaults at the east

from this, on the exterior,

carried

octagon

arch. tunnel

J

8 1, Re!fltj'alt. Cerural CI",rclt, ptalt.

p. 56. 22

Early Churches in Syria

17°

smaller angles

Re{li'"alt. Cmt,'al l'

I 8 2.

Ill. {tubbelts covered

the four compartments

in the

building and

Central Cil/welt.

Another church like

church outside

that

above,

at

Resafah

the north

of the little except

rectangular

that

is

the

wall. The plan

church its

and that the cruciform arrangement the

square.

Dr. Sarre states with tunnel

spaces

between

the

spuare

are covered

of even

a brick

restores

the

over the

with domes. dome

building

over with

Constantinian

a brick

octagon

dome suggests

is entirely

within

and

the

the

central

a pyramidal at Antioch

the central

square roof

and

of wood fact that

was restored

itself as the likely

space

in

cupola,

form The

of roof interior

15 m. from end to end

The

only in

building

polygonal complete

is 6 m. square.

church

at

is a small

MiCrayeh.

(II!. 19S) is attached

an octagon

In this

to the east

end of an ordinary basilica, with apse and side cham bers. The

apse arch occupies

the

side

the

octagon,

from

chambers

doorways

and

one side of the octagon,

project are

to the entire

reached

just beside

by

In

the

heart

Guyer

and

diameter

oblique

of

passages

the apse. The walls of this

of the

remains

al-f:lalawi)'yalt

Frall{ais

d' Archiolog-ic Oriel/talc.

city

may have

of Aleppo

suggesting

been the Cathedral

aisle of which a

plan

was covered

which

later

Middle

place

are

that

of Aleppo.

Ages,

Northern

but

the

details

It preserves

end ~f the

church,

The restored

to the

which are still in

preserved,

and these manifest

of sixth

by Mediaeval,

sides

building

be assigned

This fragment

structures.

the

by a series of three domes,

characteristics

Syria.

which IVI.S.

basilica, the middle

ordinarily

very perfectly

the principal on all

would

there have been

church

the title of La Madrasa

under

d'Alep.

century carving in

of a building is enclosed and

only

more recent Moslem

a

and

east

The

L shaped

of this, a square

standing the

angle

columns

piers

believes tion,

fraction

a semicircular

of the west

that

assumes

side

of the

this

into

a third,

the

east

end

dome

the dome have free

dome that

floor

into

domed

Suaygowski,

M. Guyer

arch

below the east

a similar

square, and

like the first, and that of an apse between side

of the

rend Europa)

Sim'an.

is of Moslem construe-

the

opened both

by a dome.

of the L, like those of

at Kal'iat

was composed

The

(1914) T. XI, Pp- 217-23I.

covered

under

at the ends

the present

he

exedra of

just within the narthex,

space

piers

of the octagon

and

chambers.

including

curving to the west

315 Sture und Herzfeld, op. clt., II, pp. 39-44· Straygowski, Die BaukullSt del' Armel/ier 318 Serre und Herzfeld, op. cir., Abb. 154. Spanner and Guyer, Rum/a., p. 42. 317 P. 11, B. p. 70.

318 }1ull(Ihl de "Imtifllt

in

This plan is unique.

of a Christian

has published

318

six columns,

in this region

delapidation,

of piers and arches.

a restoration

be carried on an

I

lYIicraJ1elt. Central Clur.rc!t. 317

one,

suggest would

plan (III. 195-W) shows an oblong

the idea

in place of its stone

measures

may

of mud-brick

octagon

discovered

exterior

He dismisses

for a central church in this part of Syria. cross in this building

and

square,

the centre (lIl. 182). aro In spite of the

526 with a wooden dome

and

apse

of the

that the arms of the cross cross

we

high with debris

Aleppo. [Beroea}, "Catltedral".

vaults, and that the four angle

interior

so that dome

of about two metres

is heaped

is somewhat

shaped

are outside

a

interior

square

of il-Ander in described

horseshoe

side chambers

arc covered

small,

to a height

all the interior

earth,

which

rIerzfe!d).

are preserved

in stone;

of the square.

Rqafak'"

restored [after

Ouwc!t, interior

II,

interior p. 4

Amitla,

0

8

is much higher

f.

Abb. 116.

Churches

of Northeastern

Syria

[7

I

,j

Ill. 183. than

the original

of the height of

the

the

which,

of the

carry

of Northern

preserved, the

angles moulded

octagon

singular and

probable later, 319

The capitals moulded

architraves

capitals (Ill.

Syria.

never having

of the

gular

ding

one third

from

stilt which

J

late,

of all the columns

83) are all of a foliate

treated in the half plastic, half colouristic techwhich characterizes so much of the sixth century

Some

the

The

the caps of the piers

carving

In

carry

La Madrasa al-J:la!!iwiyyalt", capitals.

This half dome is perhaps

like the dome within. type nique

U

nearly

is concealed.

exedra

in turn,

half dome springs.

and

so that

of the columns

columns

blocks

pavement,

Aleppo.

been exposed

are perfectly

to the weather.

capitals

are

of the wind-blown

above

the

L shaped

brackets at Kal'at

resemblance

like

those

Sirn'an. between

those of Saint that

All of them

the Aleppo

in the

the details

Simeon's

great

"Cathedral

are

very

a

of this church.

an oblong,

undivided

structure

in this material

the

is a little baptisteries

Ill.

320 P. JI, B.

with

chapel of basalt, planned of Northern Syria, that

apse. Its date is presumably

fortress.

At

churches,

buil-

chambers

projecting

It is

semicircular of the nave.

apse

il-Anderin

one

like which

wings

p- 102, II!. 119.

321

the date

finds

an undivided

chapel on

enhances

let us say, half a century. P. II, B. p. 95, 1//.

build-

of mention.

mouldings that reproduce those of the architecture the western hills. In the small fortress at il-Habbat,

numerous

a little

ecclesiastic

Syria that are worthy

The chapel at Tellun, '" near the western edge of the district, and within reach of the limestone country, is

a projecting

of

few of the smaller

ings of Northeastern

rectanfinds

is only

There

dated 556, one of the

angles

one

Cltapels

variety.

piers are

Indeed,

CLASS 3.

P. 11, u. p. 56) .Ill. 49.

among 32\

either the

of 320

like has of the

with side side of a

entire

width

T ABLE

OF CONTENTS PART

II

ANALYSIS

VI.

GENERAL

SURVEY

VII.

GROUND-PLANS

VIII.

ACCESSORIES

AND

SUPERSTRUCTURES

IX.

ORNAMENTAL

DETAILS

X.

INFORMATION

FROM

XL

ORIGINS

AND

THE

INFLUENCES

INSCRIPTIONS

•

•

CHAPTER GENERAL

SURVEY:

COMPARISONS

I.

3· ORIENTATION:

T

HE first part

study

In

of this

of the early

volume

or less chronological

examples made

has

been

and

every

which

architectural

or chronological

has

of monuments features

could

involved

lay

the

importance.

A

in common precision,

all have tuary,

having

sanctuary, have

and

chambers,

to which the names

been given.

the priest and the deacon preliminary fulfilled Here

oblation the

before

the sacred vessels

vested.

There

and often

wall,

it seems

most

side.

The

circular first the

identify

this

sanctuary

was

a rectangular

is a broad

the

of the

and

with three

sanctuary the

diaconicon

of stone

of two covered

were

322 The fifth (?) century church

nature

forms,

on the

south

not

for the

are

minor

details,

a narrow The

arch

was connected

324

doorway.

opening

capable

This

between

invariably

of being

practicable

prothesis.

chiefly

these

of ground

is little

closed,

doorway

Beyond

matters

there

churches

is the

a square-

between

and

the

general features plan, and these

in common

of the North

is often

between

South

the

of Syria.

dome

j

roof of wood,

was an exception

Norther»: Syria

as we know

the

used for the covering

at Ba'albek

this be

with a stop for a door, opening inward,

arch,

The typical

one a semi-

by a half

by

diaconicon.

which typical

In

apartment;

a lean-to

opening

of its

as the prothesis. is usually

cases,

outer

The

open upon the nave;

and the nave is almost

doorway an

always

one, rarely both of them,

the

usually

while

entrance

in the

sanctuaries. apartment,

exceptions.T"

occasionally

headed

churches.

rectangular

which we may call the chancel arch. The side chambers,

with

should occupy;

the

a rectangular

usually

had, in most

slabs

chamber

this chamber

was, of course,

though

from

the inscriptions.

or

The diaconicon

has a larger

from

an apse

and diacouicon

has a doorway

natural,

apse, the other

second

usually

and interior,

and to the infor-

whether

smaller

substituted

one of them

exterior

Special

nave and the sanctuary,

322

of

AND CONTRASTS

nave and the

the other,

distributions.

and ornamental,

is to be derived

been no rule as to which

since

churches

that

survey

to chronology,

the

the preparation

these chambers

a general

less attention

many

among

in European

In the second

is the beginning,

between

was the room in which

the litany.

manner.

chapter

or less a sanc-

side

mation

of their

in different

geographical

structural

some

things

to the east, even

lost

is also given to accessories

to details

emphasized.

of the churches

separately,

to present

paying

observing

seems to have

but,

Syrian

Of,

still

the present

is made

kept, and here the clergy

than

to

of,

have

treated

and in a disconnected

an attempt

study

sufficiently

accessories

which

being

of which

were

side of the presbyterium

office,

certain

with more

ofprotltesis

office of sacristy

buildings,

but

of a nave and

performed

details

body

and certain

are certain

by

of a large

on either

The prothesis

certain

the monuments,

COMPARISONS

many,

one

not have been

there

significance part,

to

may

treat-

the sanctuary

or presbyte1-iuUl, have

regions

of Syria have certain

the two main divisions

earliest,

been

have been lost sight

all are oriented

j

and

of

claim

at least, Moreover,

CONSTRUCTION:

2.

5. DESIGN.

This

of the churches,

them,

the churches

the

smallest

I.

L

has

be, that as a result,

to many

between

by century.

within

presentation

and it may

j

common

contrasts

the

in a more

an attempt

building,

delirninated, ment

up the

review, a large number

cited

to introduce

of Syria

order, century

the foregoing historical

AND CONSTRASTS:

4· UNITS AND RATIOS:

has taken

churches

VI

of

church

of Northern

it in Latin

countries,

Syria

with a longitudinal

system of supports which carry architraves or arches for the support of an upper storey of lights, - a true clearstorey storey

high.

(11/. 184). The The

central

side nave,

I

is the basilica,

walls

are only

or the main aisle

one of

to this rule. (Cf p. 182 note 327).

323 The church at Northern Dana (Ill. 191-H), the chapel at il-Andertn (Ill. 191-G) and the church at Umm it-Tuweneh (P. II) B. III 6). 32~ There is a group of churches, mostly of the sixth century, in the (Ala which for some liturgical reasoll, had lateral openings connecting both chambers with the space directly in front of the apse (p. 164).

[1

Early Churches

In

Syria

MSHABBAK· CHVRCH· c

r~

~

A-III-+~'--f--'c-----tll--ffi "

~ .' ~ (II

&-1---'-'---

13

,.---'I"±:i-..... "

i!

r .

WLSTFACADE' ,

EAST END·

.sCALE: ---

'"

SECTIONA-B·

_

lll.

184.

.."

Comparisons

and Contrasts

'n

l_

J! j'

",

ltI. 185. Arcuated lintels.

the

church,

was covered

of timber; from

the side

the

If the

with a double

aisles

side walls

windows.

Ill. 186. Be"db!l. House, jJlan and elevation,

to

had

the

lean-to

level

sanctuary

pitched roofs

roof

pitched

of the clearstorey

was of apsidal

form,

arched

only

lintels forming

its

curve was usually concealed on the exterior by a straight wall that formed also the east wall of the side

in form,

cut

what

is called

apse a single curve

or five windows

chambers these the

which

chambers roof

in

of the

the

were

occasionally

both

entrances

rectangular

flank

carried

location

earlier

occasionally

of the

in both

not indispensable examples

churches

sixth

century. regular

Northern were its

features

across

simplest

with architraves walls

which

space

consisted

ends were

with

returned

the

ends

in the side walls. They and

arched Early

j

western

but

Churches

the

or

of

portals narthex

narthex,

arches

employed

Besides in

purpose

of with

were closed

with

toward

each

The

occupied

other. by piers

Windows

or

were

of two forms, rectangular of these

windows

are

in the

exterior arch.

earlier

to pier-caps

On the outside,

of the crowning

moulding

mouldings

of the portals,

churches,

even the lintels

were entirely

bare, As church

mouldings

were exten-

string

courses

and

there

was

which served

the

openings.

basilical church

of the North,

a sort of chapel,

religious

small windows.

used

[or base courses,

building,

building

three

however,

and other

the

a smaller

a wooden roof. In other

in the west facade and usually are

sively

for all arches

below the

on the

of the older

advanced,

end the

of openings

of the chancel

of the portals

west

churches,

with

consisted

the

in the earlier

profusely

and the frame

while on many

piers

wide intercolumniation.

in the c1earstorey,

churches

narthex was

walls

pierced

confined

the only ornament

are at times three

In

blank

not

being

were used. If the

there

no windows.

was

were

was the

so

and then again there are examples

often two storeys

portal

of the

j

is usually

and the archivolt

of six monolithic

of the

churches,

and jambs

The

are

which

Mouldings

architecture

a porch

in it

and

during

and

(I!I. 185).

lintel

openings

apse is visible,

are

portal

facade.

which carried

between

columns placed

the

whole

gable,

dated

an arcuated

coupled

them,

for each

with

with

there storey

the wall seem to have

the earliest

churches

the

form,

porch

where lower

but there

aisle

where

of the

and

usually

as several

invariable

along

provided

western

examples

The

j

in the north

churches,

of even

The

generally

examples

The

it became

colonnade

Syria.

extending

aisles.

but

above

were

necessitated

A two-columned

or a continuous been

church

in the earlier

attest,

up

were so treated.

two in the south aisle, or sometimes if the

of the

to form a low tower

chambers

to the

walls

apse. The walls of one of

side aisle

a few cases

main

the

invariably

the opening

window is often found and there are some

is to

between

are almost

above

This form of window head is one of the characteristic details of the architecture of Northern Syria. In the

chambers; but in a number of cases, as in two of the earliest churches with definite dates, the curved wall be seen

for they

to a semicircle

worship.

or without

This

was

an

It had

an apse.

oblong system

110

of interior supports. The side walls were relatively higher than in the basilicas and carried a simple roof of timbers usually were.

a gable

extended This

Northern private

with

houses

each

along the side

is the Syria

at

simplest

form

end. where

A colonnade the doorways

of church

edifice

(Ill, 79), and is substantially of the country

with

in

like the

the interior

in Syria.

23

.\

walls

Early Churches

Syria

In

\

5E.CTlONAB· IlE.5TOI1E.D·

CHV.QCH·

.

MASLCH03 , LSLlL.....OL __ :' _N'MM IDJ-DJlMAL

D

Ill. 187. removed,

a sanctuary

storey

colonnade

storey

(ill. 186).

added

along

at one end, and the two

the side reduced

to a single

buildings

like

second

or

the

third

three-aisled

well known century

at Shakka

plan is combined

SYRIA

The

characteristic

most

central churches

are of two types, both the

churches

that

the

parts

of the Christian

system

and the

wooden

transverse which

of other

longitudinal

clearstorey

system

covers nave

metres

apart

of interior

Syria

world

supports,

and a flat roof

building.

by transverse

and a sanctuary

types

consists

piers

width of the

engaged

tially

like

buildings such

nave.

chambers

with the

the long,

The arches

narrow

of the second

halls

century

in Shakka

verted

into

walls

of these

crown

is essen-

at

buildings

an early

are carried

of the transverse

arches.

clay.

These

buildings

the side, although western portals. The

of

the

as it is generally found

up to the crown

and

interior

the

end

arches,

the entire

protrudes

not

semicircular,

the

major

end

axis

of

required three

beyond

period.

The

side

This tower contains' a and to the roof which

attention.

west

end,

are built

was covered

with

and

apse and

in the galleries.

Sonthern

Syria,

chnrch

is

not

The one

are' rare,

from the front and

is of basilical understood,

plan,

of

to the not a

but a basilica

in the Haura n, and derived

to the west

portals were generally

for

each aisle

j

there is

on one side. The windows they

are

A narthex

and a colonnade infrequent.

of decoration

attached

in the

is 'often found in

alOng the side ·of the

Mouldings except

placed

and 'other forms

when

taken from the

Much of the ornament

ruins of more ancient buildings. was executed in stucco.

beaten

are only a few examples is rarer, and confined

to the east wall

aisles.

insignificant;

up to the level of

form of an ellipse,

of the side

an entrance

was con-

the

access to the gallery

are

of the

in

is parallel

also sometimes

side

of stone slabs covered

is often

the

small

height with the

the east wall. It is occasion-

but

of which

constant

in

of the main arch. The

A tower

one

stair giving

of the gallery

(ll!. 20). The apse in some of these

ally

ch urch.

arches

of equal

and a flat roof

building

churches

of the

level

walls are

on piers, spans the in two storeys, span

the

NORTHEASTERN

The

remains

SYRIA

of ancient

architecture

Sy~a are not well preserved,

of the Hauran,

kind

reaching side

and galleries,

Syria,

The spandrils

were entered

there

other type, which

mountains basilica

This

aisles

in Southern

up to the same level and a roof of slabs was laid from one arch to the other.

the side

(p. 16). Here the

carried

arches.

public

(Ill. 4-A), which itself

a church

from

and narrow

of Roman

as are still to be seen on the south

Kaisariyeh

in

almost

spring

side walls. This nave

of

to 3

2

two storeys, or an apse which often embraces the entire

the

of stone

arches

with side

in

by a

One of these

to be the earlier,

spanned

from

roofs are replaced

of arches

the entire

(Ill. 187), which appears a long

of Southern

of which differ essentially

aisle,

basilica of the

with the transverse arch

system. A broad, high arch SOUTHERN

Roman

from

struction prominent

in

which

elements

have

110t been

from

the

heaps

owing

clay- mortar j

but

disturbed

and

the and

ruins,

in Northeastern to the poor conmud-brick

were

in many cases,

lie as they fell, so that

of faUen walls,

piers

and arches and

Comparisons \

from the mounds

of clay,

of the

buildings

can be restored

degree

of accuracy.

horseshoe using

dome

and

plan;

with

had

wooden

apse

shows certain

free,

between

the

columns

in the

arches,

were

arch

is frequently

westernmost smaller

bay.

arches

generally

western

tecture

or more

substituted

system

of the

the

side

interior

transverse

towers.

While

The

by

narthex

There

were

occa-

basilica of North

is evidence of Oriental

is

the basis of the archi-

is still the Hellenistic

Syria,

influence from the Persian

STONEWORK

I

is a strong

contrast

between

tural forms of the churches

of the Northeast

them

in matters

churches

architec-

the contrast

between

is stin stronger.

The

are built of a beautiful

system central

aisle

employed,

not the

finely only

end,

-

also

for the columns

the jambs interior

apses

arches

are

as

and leaving

marvels

diffe-

the spandrils.

The

earlier

churches, dressed

double

faced, averaging

long,

large quadrated averaging were used

blocks,

In Southern

unusual

of the

available, used

other

are high,

and

for

the curve

were built only on the

lintels

stone and

art.

of small stones outer

of The

unequally of these

of irregular

face. These

walls are

72 cm. thick, and often' present 326

Cf. p.

72.

large

the

like

and

in courses.

of dressed

except the

invariably

for

of Bosra, blocks

in the curved the

fitted roofing slabs.

of the arches

were

construction

the walls being

stone

formed

of

of the portals The voussoirs

great

of

always

follows

outer walls and

built of small stones,

but cut to a rectangular

Each

of

wall

often wider than they

extrados

The

of

Quadrated

for the framing-stones

the line of the

stone

for buildings

Cathedral

were often used

of the intrados.

smoothed,

and in courses

was the only buil-

blocks

are very short, being

the spandrils not

finished

in double faced walls.

apse,

but

and

walls, in many

slabs, and

the span was too

of, the same thickness, of all the walls.

throughout,

magnificence,

-

highly

Syria, where basalt

the arches

cutter's

were high) the side stone

when

55 em. high and in the construction

and the closely

extending

of the longitudinal

the appearance of polygonal masonry (Ill. ISS-A). In all the later churches, and in some of the earlier ones,

east

and the half domes

of the stone are

was introduced,

usage with

became quite

no space for a clearstorey.

of the

as the jambs

are monoliths,

of the arches

Cf. p. 145.

well

a clearstorey

roofed

In Southern

"0.

with a double pitched

was

of the nave

Lauzeh.

system of supports

from the flat aisle roofs

stone

chambers,

of Kalb

being

roof, rising immediately

quadrated

flanking

side aisles of two best example

for a flat roof of slabs,

dressed, its

of a fiat

of Northern

timber

piers and arches,

and

shape,

325

are decided

and lintels of the portals. The shafts of the

portals,

vcussoirs into

and

colonnades,

of the the

apse

quarried

construction

the the

wide and roofed,

of the earlier churches

the

churches

the side walls

and

In many for

The

great

well finished

North

the other.

of Ruwel).a,:l2~ and roofs of

common

of arches, narrow

white

of basalt and of mud-brick, there

most

aisles

architecture

for the support

above

occasionally

j

of the Northeast

regions

church

in the

and then

were built

is easily

but,

rarely

of the

stone

fine

material

of construction.

from

churches,

Syria the longitudinal

were

rences

each not

the church introduced

ding

the three

though

Northern

lends itself to carving. The churches of the South are constructed of black basalt, the hardest stone ever employed in building on a large scale. The churches within

dry. This

or three

church

less than the South, and yet we find

arches,

and

But

laid

North

the

of the North and those

South,

of construction

of the

limestone

and

transverse

as the

to borrow

borrowed

in the

and to introduce

CONSTRUCTION

2.

Fthere

is a tendency

common

at the

reinforced

aisles.

structure.

for

and columns

A large

is sometimes

a triple-arched

sionally there

over

to note,

slabs

form three

and east

regions of Syria develops, that there

stone

that

entirely

across the main aisle

This

It is interesting

namely

unknown.

thrown

style

Syria,

and architraves,

not

of the

the

the apse protrudes are generally

columns

with

the curve

to modify

northeast

features.

of these different North

to the

roof, in one, at least, of the later

longitudinal

though

originally

regions

walls of the side chambers.

in walls Piers

having

of them

cases in which

it is enclosed

arcades.

chambers,

in some

sides of a polygon.

squinch.

the churches are of the basilical

apse and side roofs;

the Sassanian

distinctive

plan,

179

Mesopotamian

which tended

the apse of

of churches of central

perhaps

and

with a considerable

In this region appears

But, for the most part,

In

the plan and superstructure

plan and a group

the

and Contrasts

face and laid

a wedge

in the wall,

double faced and So ern. to

I

rn. thick,

The spaces between the wedges were filled with broken stone and' clay, and the bonding stones were laid through

the

thickness

(Ill. IS9).

Each

sides and

projected

of the walls at regular intervals

bonding

stone

had

slightly

concave

3 to 4 ern. from the exterior

wall

(' I

\

Early Churches

[80

A.

B.

In

Syria

Ref&delt. House of polygonal masonry.

U17l17l idj·Djim&l. Cllltrc!, of Julimlos, apse f,'om tlte Sontlieast, Ill. 188. Masonry.

Construction surface.

\

Another

common

in (Ill. 188-B), where composed

entirely

method

every

fourth

of narrow

The materials

churches

and

The

churches

in

the

light

the

dark

stone

The

construction

Euphrates, not

used

were

built

employed with

In localities difficulty,

used,

only

the

of the does

the

interior

courses

are lying better

voussoirs.

The

of huge half

those

domes

were

of mud-brick. were

usually

Mouldings, in these Apse

window

but

mouldings;

churches these

surface

building,

Northern

Syria

masonry,

and

the

half

masonry

dome

place

of lime-mortar,

The

appears

is almost

half dome

It is not surfaces than

definitely

were the

roofs

took the place

a durable

in

hidden

other

covering.

exterior

and

of coarse filling

up

somewhat On the third

three

mortar all

the. interstices coat which,

coating

coat

as an extension used

surface

in the

Umm idj-Dj imal that the walls,

relief

upon

j

fine

are

but,

rarely

where

dressed

wrought

shaped

stones

stones,

over

and

in the

The

to receive

North

or not,

the interior

with plaster.

or

in a very to bring all

Plaster

moul-

and designs in low the exterior

built

and

of irregularly

not unsightly,

was dressed to a smooth

was stuccoed

it is that

was

of colour.

the second them

upon were

which

a

even to the smooth

texture.

walls

a

was final.

in the churches

presumably

in plaster

surfaces.

surface

were coated

was laid

plaster

occur,

was laid

to one colour

wall

this surface

this

found

they

were used in the South,

were

first coat was

stone and pottery,

on the exterior,

of exceedingly

interior

Certain

The

and waxed for the application

of the

the outer

was used.

wall

the rainfall lighter

this coat was scratched

of plaster

the surfaces

vault

unsightly

I found

and it was also applied

dings too,

tunnel

is common,

third

of

only

At

and

on the interior.

finer

made smooth

In

was the

from view. is milder

mixed with broken

interior,

thin layer,

in the

the

not only of the churches, but of all kinds of buildings, were covered with a thick stucco, two coats on the

mouldings

form

that

parts of Syria,

South,

was used

known

climate

Carved

used

invariably

universally

Syria,

PLASTER

of the

depth.

form of vault

STUCCO AND

shallow

unknown.

of stone

and cement,

of a tunnel vault that

In Southern

in providing

was used

the few examples

scoriae

example

of stone almost

vaults

of right-

for the most

in the

almost

employed.

the

South.

have

of little

was never

but no other clay

lintels

except

were

occasionally

Northeast,

employed

of the

is confined,

vaults,

and

of small voussoirs.

little lime-mortar

domes,

of vault commonly

the

great

lime-mortar

of a half dome, In

and

half

or

as were also the caps

carving

very

often

mortar

were usually

but the ornament

and

of dry

are

were large

in those

moulded,

of the

In all three regions

kind

than

mouldings

Some

to elaborate

in wall

in

openings

being composed

were

of 4.30 m. The

set

of tunnel

and

built of volcanic in a church.

or else of mud-

lime-mortar

the half domes,

found

of flat slabs

where

of larger

portals

a length

of rubble

were often

profile.

domes

being

though rare, were more commonly basalt

of piers;

part,

either

arched,

arches

lined

of the church reaching

The

churches

On the whole, the arches

lintels

dimensions,

were

as was also the single has been

rarer. All these were

very little

of domes,

and the door-frames, Syria,

South,

vault

set in clay,

interior

In all these

of Southern

In the

being

the door-frames, were of the entire east end, which

and arches,

in the ruins.

than

the

brick.

of rubble

Syria,

was largely

of walls,

and the tunnel built but

was quarried

mud-brick

dome rare, generally in walls;

stone

the basalt

was of basalt.

supports

of the the walls

and arches, doors and window

in which

lower

standing,

churches

finished

ll!_ 189.

arches.

in the region

supports and arches, and basalt. In several instances is still

and

was the only material,

in which

and

not

walls, and

supports

quality,

only for piers

frames.

are

of walls in Southern

or better

CORBELLING

with basalt,

was the chief material

in the manner

a poorer

appears

of the limestone

basalt

material

to the locality.

for the exterior

of the churches

is half

to have

one

used together

interior

where gypsum

Where

brick,

limestone

for the

differ from that

North. of

which

being

stone

seems

according

and it is generally

The

Syria were basalt,

sun-baked

or the other preponderating numerous,

stones.

used in Northeastern

gypsum

is show

or fifth course

bonding

dome of the apse in Southern been invariably of concrete. limestone,

of bonding

for

face. Whether

I am unable to say.

surfaces

of these

walls

Early Churches in Syria \

ORIENTATIO/f

3· Thas already

I

churches

toward

early

been

that

practically

tation

all the

late;

This

321

but

the

is quite true

degrees

not

very

when

dates

for

the

to

be

tested

by the compass,

show comparatively

wide varia-

tions;

for the

axes

number

upon - old

churches, veying

that have been instrument,

as

twelve

at

right

have

degrees

of the

by means

of a suras much

angles to the

the

true

of churches

the diagonal

of deflection number

possible.

during

from the angles to

erected

had accurate hundred

years

nearly

due

conform

accuracy, east,

to

an

their

and

siuce

orientation

or/ in other words,

major

W subjects

M.

Syria,

he

archeology,

namely

measurement, in the

of that

of knowledge

country.

330

at our disposal

units of measurement

employed

These

two

and

probably

orientation

determined

In all these

cases, the inscriptions

by

in orien-

the

text

of

of Central

units

of

at

of

were

linear

or

for of

units,

certain

by the ancients

units

the

length

of roofing

are

in even

numbers,

employed.

the researches

buildings

of Syria

like the width

of columns,

dimensions, the

in the

measurements,

doorways,

diameter

employed

likely

to

of M. Viollet-le-Duc

and

be

standard

of

and others

out and their

seasons of the year. fall just short of giving hypotheses.

back

measurement,

the

Greek foot of

and

satisfied

all

the

according to

M. de Vogue. units

of

upon

, accepted ,

the plain

part

study

the

from the

fourth

was

.55 rn.

but

it

or 70 m. or .84

were

I. 10

by

the period when

The

unit

employed

the first, second

importance

is quite

for our

evident that

the Christian period, century.

It was found,

thickness

of early walls

to the seventh

that the common

the increase it was found

propounded

period,

during

500 years,

no less than three

during

Syria.

of that

employed

With

that

is of no great

churches;

were

doorways

in

unit.

buildings

of the temple

than

theory

were employed

two units

more

buildings,

abandon

earlier

exception

of

It became

centuries,

for instance,

the

to that

flourished

the

that

of measured

and third of

with

a period

number

during j

was

measured,

built

metrical

the

fractions,

falling

yet we have no

j

laid

at different

the same

of linear

architecture

height

slabs,

or simple

M. de Vogue,

and

he

necessary

the

particular

unit

not

that might lead to interesting

SIc, covering

in the

a certain

it should

unit

which

to Syrian

concerning

the

as a

308 mm.,

two

employed

With

to discover

about

UNITS AND RATIOS

world,331

be difficult

us information

were

in the month

are of nearly equal

required

ones

east

of five degrees

completed

construction

plans

made

But two churches

a difference

churches

for their

their

and that

of each other by the

both

dimensions,

at different periods and in different parts of the not

were

later

and that of ratios of proportion,

buildings

amount

and, showing

orientation,

of time

importance of

years

of August.

discussion

subject

seventeen

than the pole-

observations

year.

that

on the architecture

the

represent

of the

system

since the extremes

which are of undoubted

within

rather

of the same

for observation,

proof

is about

the

might

seasons

sufficient

discovery of slight

churches

sun,

length

which

opened

the used

with

of doubt into such

The

between

that

limits this is

of late buildings

practiced

dates.

been

of orientation

Within

element

more

of the

published

was

in elate,

to solve problems of

erection

lying

many

de Vogue

his great work

the matter

the

are quite

4· HEN

different

in their

are oriented

axes

have

same architect

instruments

from any celestial

fifteen

suggested

discrepancies

angle is at right

Since many of the early churches

greater

the

the extremes

churches.

but

in orientation

might

of the nave, drawn

for this work, and variations

various

star,

undated true,

for determining

period

is

north line; this, of course, may be accidental,

of orientation

south,

examples

there

that

to bring a large

variations

at

for it is doubtful if the ancients

with

though

line. nil In a large

to the northeast

the true

"8

north;

north side of that

southwest

a basis

with

useful in helping

foundations

frequency

on the south side of a line drawn

only one case among the tested on

of

found to vary

oriented been

large

impossible

be

found

longer

to coincide

might

of churches

of accuracy,

appear

it seems

in Syria were oriented with the sanctuary the east.

and

stated

rri.,

m. wide and

and

that hundreds

2.20

of

to 2.24 m.Iiigh ,

The altar of the "Great Church" at A ti h t d liturtl'je ill "A t i J" J nuoc was urne toward the west instead of toward the east (Cebrol, Dictionnaire d'arcldotogiit Q 1 \ 1l1OCle, CO. 2374, n 18) and the early church p b bl d ti f h . III Ba'albek' . d . h . ., . , 1 TO a y a Lng rom t e beginning of the fifth century in the ruins • was onente Wit Its sanctuary at the west end (The Wiegand 13a'a/bek II p. 1"0 f) ' 328 Cf Map of U idi-Di i oJ P II I" o ' •• mm I J. j rma (. , A. Map. NO.1). 329 cr. Map . of Serd"ll- (P II 331 See Mull's" Ib 'J "I . • S30 s. C. p. 25. er nom "Cit fur n.,l1ss/Schen Allerl1UJlS7&issellscnart 1892 \' J I 8 r Jl a . 1 B. p. liS). 327

tt tilt

;.t"

)

O.

1

p.

35.

f

Units and Ratios \

this suggested lonia

the use of the old royal cubit

of. 555 mrn.

in nearer

which

Asia well down

walls of cut stone cubit

is known

were

or of rubble,

into the Christian

undoubtedly

thick, the double

faced

a cubit

and

half

in thickness,

the

cubits

It is believed

500,

the principal

Empire

linear

was changed

thirds

unit

the same,

high

under

able

in

built

the change.

the

remains

being of

walls

about

appear

not

The

old cubit

and

dimensions and

to have

, for such

been combined

measurements

found. The change

.in larger measurements

equally

significant

measure

30.80 m., or

which

new

are not

is perhaps more noticeable

although and

proportions

by themselves

studied

as

well

measurements

as

another.

standard

upon

that

unit

which

he

geometrical, prescribed mystic

of all schemes

Pagan

of ground in graphic

geometrical

and

Christian,

plans

and

be

that

would apply

small had 332

possible number

convinced and

and rectangles, had

a scheme

of monuments,

as a basis for his theory

of the

which

he

interest-

as the

churches, number it- would

of proportions

of any comparatively such

j

symbolic

the same modules or more

I am not sure that majority

by

to buildings

are exceedingly

to apply

to discover to the

was

and some

less and less applicable

not

the

of elevations

formulae

increases.

of

with

arithmetrical

he applied

laws to a hundred

one finds them of monuments

fixed,

of which

These

ing. But when one attemps and

system

which were all governed

many

significance.

kinds,

presented

and

one

of triangles

of modules

laws,

to

relations

arrangements

a system

etc.

may be observed

M. de Vogue,

he had found numbers,

and or

according

moduli

as M. de Vogue

but it is far more

Muller, op. cit., p. 8S9; Hermes, Ill, P.

429 f.

dif-

but

exactly

50 cubits

will average

m. or

11. IO

cubits.

20

of the In the

old scheme,

to the ends of the basilicas,

the east,

a radius

scribes

of 75 Greek

feet;

of 40 cubits

inside

a circle

the building

~s it is shown that the eastern

with the others throws out

of the

angles

of the buildings,

show that

or less constant

the

that they

length

varied

parison and

that

the

to century.

For-instance, of the naves

were

believed

of the

churches

to me that

these proportions

limits.

general

are about

3 :

2

inside,

have

approximately

only

another

are usually

the

way narrower

century,

proportion

of saying

that

in proportion 33:1

the

of 3 :

2,

while

After measuring

were observed

and those

shows

over all, observed

2

of churches

proportions

the

on

proportion

rule for interior proportions. number

the

century, sixth

of 3 :

to

to breadth

that the same com-

2,

fifth

of the

a far greater In

to belong'

of length

is that of 3 to

the proportion

no constant

and

proportion

a large

of 4 : 3, with an exterior

maintaining carefully

were simple,

from century

churches

proportion

of the basilicas which

these relations

show a ratio

which

in

relation

that

which

fourth. century the inside

and breadth

that

it was evident of churches

plan. In the publications I have attempted to

was a more

I had measured,

of

have no significance

33~

between

in-

the apses. Some

as presented in the geometric of the American Expedition, there

to

the new scheme

is not symmetrical

treatment

to

is 75 cubits. The outside the angle

plan. The discovery

basilica is not at right angles

that

feet; according

the new scheme, the same radius old scheme gives the circle inscribed apses

of

the circle

excluding

has a radius of 132 Greek

unit has been

to take

j

octagon

the

metrical

numbers,

feet in diameter

a smaller circle inscribed

will measure

because

a

will

sides

and

the schematic

of proportions,

Greek

100

octagon

555 mrn.,

than

it is easier

centre

the great

the other circles in the old scheme

are involved.

After

the

wit/tin the octagon

tangent

75 m.,

from outside

to the new scheme,

difficult

lip the questions

by

according

as .92 m. a cubit

determined,

can be drawn

for they

the

of measurements.

scheme

have had

struck

inscribed

in M. de Vogues

of units

of

on a scale of the Greek foot of 308 mm.,

The questions of ratios and proportions, of significant or symbolic numbers and of modules are much more that

arrangement

of the sacred

in standard

in which proportions

an

in La

presented

a circle

a foot, or 1.29 m. a cubit and two feet,

commonly

but

numbers

of

of Saint

and

roughly

measure

Sirn'an,

scheme

plan

column

stone

period

the

scheme,

is notice-

but some of the more

j

of the later

two feet in thickness.

foot

of cut

at Kal'at

geometric

for

to the former

Eastern

whatever

church

numbers

is multiplied

using the old cubit of 555 mm. According

feet wide and six feet

No change

thickness

about .555 m. walls

three

Simeon's

and

round

and

j

angles

and a year

the

of doorways

monuments

Syrie Centrale, 333 shows an interesting

the

This change would

of

stone,

wide

about

throughout

effect upon the dimensions

remained

or a cubit

that,

number

by five or by tell. The graphical

to be a

two cubits

the

circles,

The

foot of 370 mrn, or two

to the

of the old cubit. ",

little

or

doorways

when

era.

intended

a quarter

ficult

survived

walls of undressed

four

high.

of Baby-

to have

it is clear only within

of early churches of the later churches of 4: 3, which

is

the early churches than the later ones.

A. II, p. 35.

Early Churches

Syria

In

5. DESIGN Nthe matter of design

I

parts

of Syria

is impossible

the

churches

to

to discuss

find grounds

way.

The

show

wholly

struction

the

not

even

accompanies

large

clearstoreys

deprives

relation for or

rest

plain,

were of the

desire

The

not

building,

for beauty

though

here

churches

that have the

for a roof of stone, one behind

simply

holes

to the

series

arches

themselves of artistic

vantage arch,

with its higher supports,

their

low

the churches well

and

impressive,

columns

one of lightness these

the

considerations

The

churches

of design,

taken

ad-

chancel

arches

and

pleasing.

In

the relation

of the

nave

are

churches

in

effect is

proportions.

But, aside

proportions,

the

on the other hand, show

were much concerned

and whether

to the

can not be said to be illustrations

they

to some

rule for proportions,

mystical

combination

designed

and

pro-

for the exer-

the whole interior

of the North,

their architects

rising

The

arches

system,

of interior

the

into the dim light

in several

and of graceful

churches of the South of artistic design.

arches

to the great

and

by

In

of supports

was often

arcades

were used,

builders,

of the narrow

harmonious

of a

secured

system

with the longitudinal

proportioned,

spacious which

is often

of the

design.

an opportunity which

of and

more

and impressive.

judgment

their

crude

been

of broad

of, and the proportion piers

are

of these great

offered

as

to those

somewhat

mounting

of the supports

added

the appearance

transverse

of the ceiling, are dignified portion

were

of

were planned

according

or to conform

numbers,

with a view to beauty

with notions

Or were

to Some simply

of effect, these churches

to

whole,

say

which

of are

Every

for

the

exterior

of a building,

out

of

the

that

the

designed

It

according in the

of the intent

of the designers

means. as

the

ground of the

opening.

equal

in

arch

was

that

width

the

and

placed

apart,

The

near

making

two

narrow,

or

wide

and In

high

arches

these

different

remained

about main

periods.

higher

The Its

rectangular portions arcade

than

the

always

below

short and wide either low and

according studied apse

but in all to the width

were usually only

columns

of the interior

in height

are few or many,

it. The

low piers and

width of the arcades

walls

varies

the arches

employed;

in proportion

aisle

openings

in some cases tall

others

total

The

or arched,

were

themselves

the

clearstorey

were

the width of the archivolt

were

the same

aisle.

Course

arcades.

the

the middle aisle, so

churches

stilted.

one

aisles, and the apse

a few

much broad,

of the

approximately

occasionally

were

of the

proportions was

high;

very

schemes

of the storeys,

side

in

arches

upon

than

columns

together,

the

the

aisle

narrower

by innumerable depended

ofa number of features,

its piers would represent

at its springing.

for the realization

heights

and

middle

to

seem possible

could have been

interior

the

arches

a little

not

is achieved

of the plan,

The

grows simply

or by mystic combinations

and arrangement

the

width

apse

does

of

the story of the

use of moduli,

The proportions

the dimensions

tells

"Lamp

by these archi-

ornament

exteriors

to rules,

of numbers

The

burning

the

of the

and the Com.

colour and quality

churches.

always

construction.

proportions

proportions,

of plastic ornament, textures

and

and

in the artistic

their harmonious relation

of different

was kept trimmed

tects,

item

naturally

of voids to solids, the

and

in a few

effort to produce

attention,

of the surface

seen

and the twelfth,

the interiors

relations

materials

interior

such

and

and the treatment

nothing

binations Truth"

a conscious

of projections,

striving

any other buildings in century

particular

of lines, the

modelling

for

received

harmony

and intelligently

to this question there can

effect.

of themselves.

point is not

or not, but whether

than

illustrate

the test of serious,

important

the third

exterior

care

stand

and

More

between

churches

openings porches

beautiful,

answer.

.a beautiful

with a view

in relation

have

one

programme

would

were consciously

them

take

intelligent

and

often

of the entrances,

may

by the

the other,

builders

and

on the part of the

effects than

beautiful

The

their details

of effect

the

The

them

of gables

are merely

manifest

rather

criticism.

of all variety.

lack

features

improve

'The interiors

artistic we think

these

nor

that

was not studied

studied

con-

grace

impressiveness

these

accident

that

the pro-

stone

and have neither

the windows

and they seldom

structure.

from

and difficult

for the protection

proportions

is

design;

modern

to make

effort. Not all

if they were restored

means,

whether their

whole,

by any

of artistic

estate,

heavy

the exteriors

appear,

protuberances

cise

on the

In churches in which arched or colonnades

narthexes

the

difficult

result

original

Christendom,

the

exit,

to

the

churches,

be but

masses.

and

and

plainly

to their

in a negative

Syria,

of effect, the doorways

entrance

light.

It

as applying

at exterior

of voids to solids

to beauty

these

that

very

and the side walls were deter-

of the interior,

distinction,

treated

except

of Southern

whatever

by

are

as a whole,

for comparison

of the facades

mined

the subject

country

churches

no attempt

portions

were so differently

of the

in the different

the churches

\

at different

large or small,

to date, but the proin relation arch

to those of

presents

a great

Design \

A.

B.

Sur/fauya. Cilapel, exterior from tile Soutk.

Biilf£r(tii. East

Church, mouldings Ill. [90.

along

East 'U"!all.

Early Churches

186 variety

of proportions,

for the

space

in some arch

the

arch

very

be at

The

the

relation

In some These

even

buildings

proportions storey.

were

of the

of the apse

forms

by the

harmonious

of the slope

should

crown

width

of the

them.

upper storey

than

period.

in others.

by the

plan and

as were

also the

same

as those

treatment

gable

steeper,

because they

required

to give

strength,

and, in a side

were nearer the eye,

were seldom of voids

to solids was always

aisle

walls the arrangement

was

never

and

symmetrically dark

balance

treated

spaces, but

the solids presented the

west

openings the

j

as

Here storeys

alternated

with round-headed

the windows are grouped

endless.

In

emphasize

In the

and windows spacing

of

occur

as crowning

were which

the

more

like

of equal

light

as his

voids to

openings;

variety

openings

of often

in one church

in the middle and are separated

Syrian

as difficult

music

would

over

movement

and

of the

sweeping

curves,

and sudden

unexpected to hear,

notes

crowning

height

these

mouldings

of the feature they

were best

the details with

loved

mouldings

perhaps

could be used, and both often

to emphasize lines

The

architects

of

mouldings appear

features

the

and streng-

in the treatment

Exterior

mouldings

of the day

repeated

turns

to

Window

used to

ornament, like

members

architect,

shadows.

proportioned

were

or mouldings

church.

played an

to enhance the

carved But

of the

deep

was

of the

foliage

but

the variety is almost

mouldings

of arches.

preeminently give

employed again

lines,

and

music,

of rectangular

was

the supporting

imposts

crowned.

with the rest of

of mouldings

interiors,

in the same to

determined,

balance

of these Northern churches,

but here

to enrich

the

clearstorey

much

the

by any fixed

already

appliation

either

and those

the wall and the slope

not guaged

features

the important

capitals, then

from were

ornament

of effect;

artist

offered

The

porches, were modelled or columns with their

role in the design

plastic

beauty

by

such as

to the building behind

to appropriate

building.

important

the

the proportion

treatment.

or

view

was made with a view

a reiteration

also

a

them

projections,

piers

distance

to the taste

an endless variety. The fenestration

facades

proportions, with

distyle

of the

roof above

ends show openings of All

relation

according

studied.

but the

height their

gable

and

pier-caps,

The relation

of the doors

symmetrical;

the larger and smaller rhythm

carefully

of the

and

the

narthexes

The

windows are equally spaced

spacings.

in harmonious

architraves,

the

even and

the tran-

not only never the same, but

alike in two churches.

perfectly

and

the

in size, having the larger opening

wall of the

of these aisle roofs

were

exactly

and were

view, were to make

The angles

of the high gables

the

always

of compactness

from the high aisle wall to the lower

c1earstorey.

never

above.' but were

an impression

were

of Jines. The

of the aisle roofs were

of the

porticoes, strictly

of the aisle walls to the walls of the clear-

modified

of

middle;

various

The effects of these exterior proportions

angles

and

storeys,

in another

in the

of the same

determined

interior

by columns,

but vary symmetrically

a square

of the clear-

to that of the

it is more pleasing

proportions height

square

than

of the

in churches

periods,

is about

level of the top

proportional

is not constant

to

itself

much higher

lower storey of the facades

sition

limited

wall, and that the same cornice

both.

the

within

but it was the rule that the top

should

storey

below

cases and

in others;

even

Syria

In

to play. To

were no doubt

for us to understand

be (Ill. 190). In simple measures, over

again,

chanting now

quick,

returns, and

choir, and in the

now slow, in the quick

in the loops and spirals, the

pauses,

the gay, triumphant

we see in stone the

of the

we

see, and may try

music of a high feast day.

CHAPTER VII. GROUND

T

HAT

the

form

of the church

the

three

shown

by the great

found

among

variations

the

edifice

by any limited

was not bound during

PLANS AND SUPERSTRUCTURES:

centuries

variety

of its

of ground

examples

were partly

set

that

and of the probable

place

from century

changes

to century;

in Syria

ports, consequently,

of rules,

church

growth,

plans

is

which

have survided.

the natural growth

ment,

is

The

of develop-

in ritual

GROUND PLANS

I.

that

took

but there is sufficient

without

from the

narrow

this, the

simplest

semicircular Shems

the

ground plans of Syrian

the

buildings

into

two

churches, we may

large

of longitudinal

or transverse

those

plan.

of central

The

groups:

second,

all forms

Group

system,

first group

first, the churches and chapels and,

In reviewing divide I, those

and

Group II,

would

embrace,

with undivided

of three-aisled

naves,

basilicas,

[rom

those of square outline to the elongated type. Group II would cover, first, the buildings of square outline which

embrace

domed

or not;

partly outlines great

extent,

South

occurs; from

which

whether

are wholly

and, third,

those

or

whose

of a circle. It is, of course,

matter

the system would

within,

of plan determines,

of roofing;

have

the

to a

buildings

timber

of the

ridge-roof

with

or shed roofs, for the lower di visions, except

the

the

those

a part

that the

group

structure

in outline;

describe

lean-tos, in

second,

polygonal

understood first

a central

where

the

while the covering

flat roof of stone

or wood

of the second group

varies

the pyramid of four or more sides in timber dome

being

of concrete

covered

protected

with

or stone, slabs

by shed roofs

or

the Jower

provided

with

to

public buildings

form is the undivided

apse. In Northern

which

early date.

halls of Roman

011

(Ill. 191-C). In the South

plan of a chapel east Church

nave with a

Syria this apse is visible

as in the chapel

the hill at Kharab

it is sometimes

cealed by a straight east wall,

chapels,

in

but also was undoubtedly used for Pagan as at Der Smedj 335 and Msekeh. 1130 After

this region, sanctuaries,

on the exterior,

to be of very

"hall type" of church,

an apse at the east end, not only was derived

variety to prevent sameness, even among the churches appear

higher than the others, as in the

(Ill. 191-B). This

at 'Anz

con-

as may be seen in the

(Ill. 191-D). In the South-

at Sabhah

at Umm idj-Djimal

and in several

small

(Ill. 191-E),

such as the one at Der idj-Djnwaul

not only does this apse protrude

beyond

but there

arch across the nave

is a single transverse

the east wall,

which takes

the place of a truss. A degree more com-

plex arc the

chapels

with a three-fold

division

of the

east end, a presbytery, almost square, anel side chambers, as we find in the Southwest Church at Brad

(Ill. 191-F). often

In most Northern

project

a little

like. a rudimentary chapel

still

beyond transept,

ya.

at Surkan

nave

In

but

Northern

the chambers

project

the

these chapels

walls of the nave,

as, for example,

The next

337

undivided,

chambers.

examples

having

and

step brings us to a an apse and

Northeastern

at the sides,

in the side

examples,

as in a small chapel

(Ill. 191-G); but in the South, very narrow

at il-Anderin side chambers

seem to have answered

portions

we have

seen

vaults,

idj-Djimal

(Ill.

in the

Church

the purpose,

as

of Masechos at Umm

187),

of timber. BASILICtI'S: r:

GROUP I:

To

begin

Of the three-aisled with the simplest

form of Christian

in Syria, one must take the oblong, with a transverse a small

rectangular

sanctuary.

Such

Kasr il-Mudakhkhin arches,

this type

chapel

arch near the east end elividing a chapel

is one beside

great Roman road, not far west of Bab il-Hawa, Syria

edifice

(Ill. 191-A). In churches is found

the chancel

the called

of Southern

with a series of transverse

arch being

335 P. II, A. p. 352, Ill. 317.

off

narrower, and its sup-

336 P.

basilicas

there

are three

quite

dif-

ferent plans, two of which are nearly square in general outline:

the Northern type,

I.

chambers

included

wider than Dana able

II, A. p. 424, III. 366.

which,

in Northern

to discover,

munication

leaving a nave

it is long, as in the church at Northern

(Ill. 19I-H),

only church

with its apse and side

within the square, it may Syria,

be remarked,

in which there

between the side aisles

337

is the

so far as I have been was no direct comand the side cham-

P. IT, a. p- 327,111.

367.

Early Churches

188

111

Syria

0>0

5.90

KHARAB

2.4-0

1.75

jHLM3' A

CHAPEL ONTHEHILL' A

c

B

"

~.

-t

DER lDJ-DJVwANj

1'1,80

"'.20

CHAPEL

.•

E

F

I L-AN DERiN'

'0

""'.-

...---

~2,)'

....... r 1...... :: .~

-2~

' ,

~ r3.',) ......

~: ;

--J8

Ii ,.

000

"

., ~

1

~, ;-'-.

'--

I

.. "-

::

;.:

,., 60

CHAPEL'

H

..

G

,.:1.88 ·'.90""_3':'0

•

.?,)·-a.40_,)-o~,:>-:,:,

VYVN' CHVRCHES AND

STONE.

DOOR

I Ill.

19 r ,

Plans , A, Kasr il-lI1udakltkltilt,

D, SaNlalt,

CltZlrcltj

Cftapel;

E, Der-z"c(j-.DjuUJct1ll-,

G, £1-Anderzll, C/lapel;

H, Nortltent

B, "An», Clmrc!,; eftapel;

C, Klta1'!ib Slums,

F, B1~adJ Soutlnvest

D!Wii, Clturclt;

r,

Clllt1-cll;

cUJIZlll, Cltttrcltes.

Cftapel;

Grollnd Plans bers j 3:JS2. the Southern

type,

verse arches and its apse as, for example, 3. the true

with its series

protruding

basilica was produced

Diversity

of plan in the

in several

ways;

using many columns supporting

(II!. J92.Kj;

in the east sanctuary

end,

East

or by curve

the

by a curved by a straight

rectangular

we may

(Itl. 193-L).

beyond

east

the

east end of the side aisles

the

prothesis ana diaconicon.

cite

Again,

the the

J

are enclosed

apse

only in No:theastern

Southern

Syria.339

churches

beyond

within a rectangular

is

il-Anderin

and

the line

of N ort heastern

(III. J93-N), where the apse is set back from of the east wall of tre

in a wall which. forms three

block

apse thus

a redirnentary

form of choir. This

of masonry.

HI)

of the

but is

Northeastern

examples

South, the ,Cathedral"

end

are the lost

of

becbmes

regions of Syria,

apses

and the church

is really

basilica

and the

34J

only

the central

the church

"Cathedral" curve

of Saint

at il-Anderin,

Simeon,

of all three apses

appears

special type.

and perhaps

on the

In a later

church

of its

side

The type, due to some

in so many with

special liturgical

of

often

mentioned

as spanning

bay (see N), forms

and Southern

churches,

as

in its

simplest

form of an

of piers or columns

carrying

architraves.

form

are returned

the

ends are closed

toward

each

other

two

western

by walls which

(III.

192-J). A

few

of

churches

have

is to be

prototype

for the Mediaeval facades of Western Europe,

of the Archangel

chambers

consisted

are

or narthex.

in Northern

seen,

open portico

the

exterior

An innovation

347

Dl1na, which

338 This church at Northern belongs in the arrangement

Of

are the only ones where the

the east end of the church. seen in the plan of the

The narthex

the churches

chambers

by narrow doorways,

arch, already vestibule

of M, the plan

In

side

aisle at the westernmost

we have

Stylites at Kal'at Christian basilica

both

the presbytery

the great church of Saint Simeon Simcan in the North, 345 and the these,

Lauzeh.

with

a sort of interior

'"

at Kalb

and the transverse

Mar-

at Ba'albek.

development

Syria

tyrion and Basilica "B" at Re~afah:J4-l in the Northeast,

temple

a further

church

connected

at Der Simdj 342 in the

at il-Anderin

built in the ruins of the

The

and in front of the

of the

341

of a hexagon.

side chambers

at the ends

at Suweda

sides

and enclosed

space betweeu.-the

the central aisle and narrow uncommon. The

church

the east wall, but are apse at the

very

Plans: J, Biilp'i1~!tii, East. Clmrc/t, K, Djuwan£yelt, Clmyc/t.

192.

The use of three apses, a broad side aisles, occurs in all three

K

to form

The polygonal

rare, being found In two

III.

(Itl. J93-M), where

extremely

enclosed

U

wall

the east wall, as in the

case of the church at Kalb Lauzeh

Syria the apses project

~

walls of the side

of which

at Kokariaya

entire apse protrudes

~ I, : , ~

apse

as ali example

Church

~ I,

(Itt. 192-J). The outer

of the apse is either concealed chambers,

arches,

at Dj ttwaniyeh

with broader arches, as in the church a rectangular

by

as in

in the nave

narrow

F.----------- .........

Oblong

(Itl. 192-]), or few piers

the East Church at Bakirha

or is shown between

of trans-

from the square,

at Taf ha (Itt. 17); and

in the church

basilica.

189

in

ways

and in origin

is an exception

a group necessity,

in Northern

Syria,

has both side chambers

especially

of Northeastern

opening

which

suggest

a

go back to the very early Itilani

perhaps

of sixth century churches

towers

if its fifth century Syria,

date is accepted,

which seem to constitute

laterally, not into

a

the apse proper, but into

the space directly in fronl of it. At Dana, Umm it-Tuweneh (P. II, B. Ill. 6), dated 539/40 A.D., and in the chapel at il-Ander'in (ltl. 19I-G) there are no doorways opening from the side chambers into the side aisles. In the churches at Newa, 598/9 A.D. (III. 171), Der Nawn,

599 A.D. (111. 112), i~'Ttiba, 583 A.D. (Ill. 175\ ir-Ruhaiyeh, 564 A.D. (Ill. 113), Basilica "B", (p. 163), and the Martyrion at Resafah (fll. 177) there are openings into the side aisles in addition to the lateral openings into the sanctuary. All these churches, with the exception of the church

at Dana, are dated

in the sixth century

and

are

located

in the general

region

of the cAla.

339 Bo!}ra (111.124), Zo'rah (lll. 122), Der Sirnd~ (Ill. lI8), Re~8.fa!l (Ill. 177), Basilica II.!!" at Re~Mah, Dec Tefmnntn (de vogtte, La Syrie Cmtrnlt, PI .. 130), Chu;ch of the Archangel at il-Audertn (Ill. 193·N), Basilica at B({albek,(Wiegand, Ba,caloe/':,1I, Abb. 190). 340 Basilica lOB" (Cf. p. 163) and the M';'rtyrion (Ill. 177) at Resfifah. 3~2

de Vogue, op. cit, PI. J 9. cr. p. 1I9 i an inscription on

3U

Cf. p. 159.

34t

the lintel of the cburch 344

cr.

of Busr il-Harirt

p. 163.

345

346 Th. Wiegand, Etlaloak, H, Tafel 69. H. W. Beyer, Da- Syrisc1u Kh-c!ulloau, p. 167, discusses

347

Syria church

before at

the seventh EI

Anja

there

century are

Palt.stiltia1~ EJ,:ploralil,lll Fuml

the use of the three three

Annual,

apses,

which,

1914/15,

apses however,

not

and

to the Sinai project

2477)

uses the word apse

in the plural.

Cf. p- 99.

the prototypes

was limited do

(Wadd.

on

the

parallels region exterior

for this treatment

in Palestine. (C.

In three

L. Woolley,

. of the east end. ~utslde churches "The

as Esbeita

and

of a

WindeCDess of Zill",

pp. 72-132).

!

Early Churches

Syria

In

::::t~.-II

............. ~ .:-::: ·:::·::n:::· ..

D

,~~,-,,::8 L:::::= lVI

L

'~.;2.0----'M

0>,

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q

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CHVRCH-

d

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AllCHANGEL'

se

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q

, I

~

'"

d:

d

b

INSC·

,:

ee

'0 -!>.oe~ "at;. 4.0

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:

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o.ooz r-

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IN5C'9iO

IL-ANDEftlN· N

Ill. '93.

facades

of the

existed

in Syria

the

Christian

Hittites

There which

is aisled and

basilicas,

although

of this type,

this towered

facade,

was most

348

In

while

common

in

and west aisles,

walls, divide

the interior

as in the church

(I1I_

idj-Djnwant

it is long, five aisles.

and

12

at "Uynn

r) the

church

into three, or more,

(Ill. [9[·1). At

Dec

is much wider than

fOLIf

arches

divide

the

which

present

a square

interior

into

of plan, peculiar to the South,

hence

comes under

it is not a regular the distance

the

basilica

two, and sometimes

arches, spanning

the type

period.

regions,

is a fourth type

Certainly

the Hellenistic

architecture,

churches tudinal

in Syria.

during

appearing in all three Northeastern Syria.

Plans: L, KiJkanli)'ii, Clt/t,,"lt; lVI, J[alb Lausels, Clttwclt; N, il-Anderin, Cluwc!leS of 55. Micltael and Gabriel.

head of plan. In

more, longi-

between

the east

GROUP The

II:

buildings

central

interior

architecture

plan are not common

of Syria,

though

this

exterior and a

in the ecclesiastical form is often found

~ Examples of the towered facade: Northern Syria, Der Termsntn (de Vogue, Pl. 135) Kalb Lauzeh (de Vogue, PI. 124), "BizzOS'1 church at Ruwe~1i (fit. 156); Northeastern Syria, Kerrattn (Il!. 169), Ma'Tita (ft!. 85), Ir-Ruhaiyeh (Ill. (13), Yduz (.Ill. 39), il-Firdjeb (Ill. 173), "Cathedral" at il-Anderln (II!. 170), perhaps the church of the Archangel at Il-Aodertn (fit. I93-N) and the Basilica at Reslfah (Ill. 174); Southern Syria, Suwedn (de Vogue, Pl. 19), West Church at Umm idj-Djimal (/!/. 114), il-Kdris (P. H, A. Ill. 302), Lubben (Ill. 40). F. Oelmnnn , Hi/alli UfJd Liwa1~/laus, Bonnar 7altrbiichC1', CXXVH, (1922), pp. 188-236. G. L. Bell, Palau and Mosque at Ukhaidir, p. 122 f; H. W. Beyer,

D(1'

Syrisc!u

Kirchmbau,

pp. 148-153;

Pucbsteiu, Die Sault: ilt del' Ass)Jrischm A1'c!litektur, lb. d. K. d. Arch. Inst., 1892, Strzygowski, Kldllflsim, p. 55 f., 213 f.j Die BaukwlSt del' Al'lIICIlier, J: p. 399.

p. 8 f.;

Ground plans

P

o M·.

O.PQ.'\rR. o.oou,l

SCALE:

R Ill. '94.

0, l[al'at Sim'Cm, Baptistery (after de Vogiie); P, ii-Anderin, R, Zor'alt, Clmrcl, of St. George.

Plans:

Chapel;

Q, Kasr lbi, Wardan; in tomb at

structures.

Kal'at

brought

Sim'an

The

plan of the so-called

(III. '94-0)

to a square

by

baptistery

has an interior

solid

triangles

octagon

of masonry.

L/outside of this square is an enclosing wall, provid,ed \ an aisle about it. A simple example is found in a little church walls

at iI-And erin, of which are

now

in situ

little but the foundation

(III. '94-P). Within

square of this church is another

the

square formed

outer

by four

arches, one of which is the apse arch j the three other arches

are supported

which

stand

the apse or chancel cruciform

by two piers of cruciform

opposite

the

engaged

piers

plan,

which

flank

arch. This provides a complete

superstructure

within,

and yet

an

oblong

nave and side aisles. There

were three entrances,

in the west

in each of the side

wall and

one

one walls.

The plan of the church at Kasr Ibn Wardan (III. 194-Q) is an elaboration church

of this

is described

simple

in detail

arrangement.

in the

Vth

chapter

This j

we

may note here that the exterior proportions are slightly oblong basilical

and plan

with a dome In place

that

the

Of the three-aisled

combination

and the central

construction

is carried out with

of the single arches

crowned

remarkable success.

of the North

and South,

which appear in the little church at il-Anderin (Ill. 194-P), there are three arches on either side carried upon columns,

and two storeys

above

them.

Yet these

are

all embraced within a great arch, equal in span to the arch before the chancel; and, in theory, the plan of this

church

does

one. In the Hauran

not

differ

from

that

of the smaller

there are two forms of the central

Early Churches

192

Syria

in

Mn(AYEHCHVRCH

0 II

D

T

w Ill. 195.

church

with square exterior

George

apse

an octagon

projects

The

slightly

of Bosra, also described within

in a polygonal

the circle and the circular exedras,

front

of an apse

project nave

like

and

here

without, the

j

is planned

and having

apse

projects

form, and the angles are filled with

a circle from the between

large

semi-

are

consisted angles north

and

most

famous

Syria, is one of the most

octagon, with

of Mir'ayeh

side

in this case, chambers;

is placed the

apse

sides

octagonal

have

served

This

fourth

century

1l2Wt

called

aureum,

of

side

four the into

at

of

within a

dividing

the

narrow arches. The

in Northern

Ecciesia Magna, because

At

interior supports two

at

prototype

church

circle.

of which stood at the

two

church

a

as

a

Syria, of being

chambers

The

other

church

Constantinian

may

variously

with

octagon,

instead

five sides of an octagon

(Ill. '95-U).

wall

south

church,

Syria,

to an apse

of a

in Northeastern

three-quarters

the

the great plan, that

end is also found

about

of six columns, of

arrangement

east

of the

east

and the side

This

body

attached

straight

wings.

octagon

the is

The Cathedral

the

(Ill. 195-V), again

Fa'lfil

in Northern

chapter.

of

rectangular

Midjleyya

Vth

leaving

side

octagonal

(fll. 195-T), in Northeastern in

at but

one

space

square

A complete

chambers central

within.

The

from

of the apse arch. This church

Of the churches of polygonal interesting.

opening

of the plan

in the Vth chapter,

in a form almost square rectangle

outer square

from the square,

is more fully described in the

an octagon

of Saint

one form,

of piers and arches

for a small choir in front

and

walls; the church

of its kind, but is in a complete

of preservation.

embraces

D, J/Ilidjle)'ya, Chapel; V, FacllU, "Clttwclt of tlte Archnngels"; W, Aleppo, Cathedral.

(Ill. '94-R), representing

at Zor'ah

is the only example state

Plans: T, 1I1[;,-'ayelt,Cfmrclt;

Syria was

Antioch,

which

in this region.

Antioch,

which

Apostolica,

and Domi-

its gilded

was

dome, was badly

Ground plans injured

by the great

Ephrem

remade

is obvious

the great

form

the

most

the

fourth

was

century,

350

scattered

examples,

and

While

it

Minor,

octagonal

and

of

the

development

type

Northern

of

of supports

were

with narrow

arches,

of construction

that

groups

of churches,

and

mately

their

Little

undivided,

elates.

rectangular that

the

over

the

kinds

side

approxi-

description

the

of the

is required;

inserted

between

drawn

and

that

the

lights,

colonnades,

entrances.

The

of Northern

of semicircular

form,352

of cut stone.

windows) gable

the

distyle

windows

Syria

and

group

which

the semicircle

is set

The

semicircle

350

Strzygowski,

Cf p. 166, n. 309.

3$2 Professor

Kleimuim,

Butler's

pp.

apses at Kelb Lauzeh also plan (Wiegand, Church,

Burdj

is probably

true,

but 'his

within

the

If the

outer

cealed

by

a compound especially

by a moulding

level of the caps sphere

horizontally

inward

of a half

prolonged

Churches

in Syria.

353 35-1

was to be conthe case when

was higher

than

a the

wall of the apse, no effort was made to finish the upper ends

of the

cases,

the apses

line of

protruding

vaulting

stones;

of undivided apses,

but

chapels,

were

built

the half domes

and of basilicas of stones

of

with

so cut as to

col. 2372. A. Birnbaum, uj)it OktogOllt 'VOltAldfocMa, Nmrianz Ulld Eusebius, Vila COJl.SI(wtilli, III, 50.

op. cit., p. 201 says it was begun of the East

Church

at

in 328 and finished Burdj

Hedar

by 363.

(Ill. 58) and the church at Bututa

II, p. 132).

(.Ill. 58),

Blittitii (P. H, B. p. 330, III. 374),

Kberblt Tcz'in (P. JI, "S. p. 2041 Fll. 20g). East Church at Bnrdj Hedar (Ill. 58)) Dana (Northern) Early

are

form

at the impost.

dome

wall of the church

apse

and the

Tell

"Adeh (P. II, 11. p- 273,

Ill. 291),

Dana (Northern)

(Ill. 63), 3$4

the

but there

of horseshoe

a roof, as was generally

east

in the later

stilted,

is deep;

of apse arches that curve

The

carried around

slightly

if the apse

surface

manner

cap.

of the piers. The

a semicircle

vault,

are generally

in a similar

or with

is a quarter

the

of foliate form, though

of the half dome,

is marked

arch.

While

the piers of the apse

terminated

mouldings

level

arcades

have caps

occasionally

with

the chancel

in piers.

of the nave

frequently

and of half domes

a half

plans

circle

of horseshoe plan. His field notes, however, give no indication of this form. de Vogue's Plan (Ill. I93-M.) of indicates a slight horseshoe curve in the apse, and the Christian church in the ruins of Ba'nlbek has an apse

Ba~albtk l:ledar

A. Birnbaum,

a complete

a few examples

et dll~Lit1trgft, II, -Anuocbe'', XXXVllI, 1915, pp. 181-20g.

70-103.

statement

(P, II, B. Ill. 374) show

is, in some

upon the inside

be

in a tunnel

the apse is always with

are

half dome

above

In

of the apse could

arch is ordinarily

porches,

walls.

walls of the apse

of the apse terminate

are

at

in straight

the side

ends

apse

are

cases

a set of mouldings,

impost

circular

opened

is covered

line of its cord

351

East

churches

the curve

with

churches,

that

ends

occasionally or

349 Cabral, Diationuaire d'archiologie iVJ1ss, Repertorium Iur Kunstwissenschaft,

the church

of these

These

a related

produced

piers at the

either

timber

in other

i

its ends

capped both

up in the

in the west wall at the level

In the churches

of horseshoe

description

chapter.

Vlh

ground

(Ill. 495- V)

examples

to

straight

with

in the

exterior

Fal'ul

so far that

arch more

in the uppermost the

two

The walls

small,

of the

arch

with

produced

it is sufficient

high

for the support

with small

Continuous

one or

ApSE

353

far back

some of the minor

are placed

occur

windows,

pierced

protected

dome

at

(Ill. 177). A complete

is given

the chancel

of

the roofs of the colonnades.

set

in their

churches

that

AND BASILICAS

often aid in fixing

chapels

spaces

sometimes

in form.

we are studying,

and the church at Amida form should be studied together. 351

CHAPELS

to certain

o[ the roof are often

usually

the

in

at Amida

SUPERSTRUCTURES

give character

windows

walls, that corbels

the

territory

eastern

been discovered

of El Hadra

of a circle

are

and Resafah

and piers with broad

details

of

the

segments These

churches

used in the superstructures,

to describe

windows

such

in the churches

It now remains

course)

display lines.

church,

pages that various

were employed

arches.

trusses

in by

Syria, it has also been pointed out that different

i. e., columns

side

is outside

an

SYRIA

of wall construction

say

which

built

suggests

have as yet

of which

of the central and octagonal

We have seen in the preceding

systems

churches

if we omit the church

with so few and

octagonal

two

Armenia

Syria,

described

A.

to

Only

in

Strzy-

church,

Naz ianzus,

2.

NORTHERN

not a

in Syria,

in Asia

is hard,

was

type of building inspiration.

it

While

to form a clear idea of the develop-

spread

the subsequent

buildings

the

at

in wood.34!)

the octagon

examples

famous

Gregory. ment

that

for church

cites eight

of 526 and the builder

dome

from the ruins

common gowski

earthquake

193

(Ill. 63). 25

194

Early Churches

rn

Syria

A

B

Ill. 196. Kfer, Cltl",clt: A. Interior of Apse;

B. Exterior of Apse.

Superstructures present

a smooth

were built

concave

up in a flat

surface

without

(Ill. '96), or

half cone of solid stone

work.

there

are

for arch cipal

SYSTEM

system

up the basi lical structures

of supports,

colonnades

generally

though

there

ill detail;

adapted was

no

There

usually

of the

elevated

colonnades, piers

and the distance

on a high though

in several

churches

of the Djebel

of columns

are generally

much

high. Each pier is oblong base, shaft and cap.

we have

the fundamental

architrave

and arch,

other

little

had and

upon

employment

in the form examples

of Btirsa great

in the

355

basilica

of Zebed

35{}

and the church of Saints

'51

is-Surab these

in the

examples

of columns,

Sergios

it is certain

both

carrying

to the condition of the

great

church

certain

indications carrying

the 355

arcades

set a whole

level

is particularly

of the

variations

arch

Ruweha,

of a

by the

either

system

Here

them

are

is carried

lintel,

is so

roof.

as to

in Syria,

the region

at Umm

T form

across

62.

the

cap

of impost that

have

in plan,

This

level,

erected

and was amplified are introduced

there

on

these

3CO

rectangular

of the arches, arches

weighted

as trusses

were arches

for the

at Resafah,

where cruciform

over

the

359

piers

the side aisles.

I

PIERS

The

ment.ion

duces

the

of piers

subject

of

other owing

besides the square

which

are un-

at Kal'at

the lower

of the

and

cross-form,

piers of complex

above

intro-

There

were

piers for the support

in addition described

special which

to the piers above,

in the churches mention.

plan, like those

Sim'an,

octagon

paragraph in general.

and rectangular

arches,

be said

the

111

of piers

require

may

of

arches

through

transverse

repeated

at it·Tuba,

Syria

Of the

a slender pavement,

acted

with arches

Church

broad

the spandril

was

on

the piers which carry

and the

which

architraves.

with definiteness,

three

where

arrangement

from a column

in the North

the nave. Upon

were

other

of Northern

These

are, first,

of the main octagon

supported

and two smaller

two

of

two great arches

arches

crossing

the

side aisle and connecting with the nave arcade. These piers have a most regular plan, but a very significant feature about

A. III p. 154, Fig.

than

in churches

has

up from

which appear

it is to be noted

composed

difference

nave

and

last

architraves.

are

higher

is found

the

T form

the

of columns,

course it. This

one

of mountains,

and Bacchos

thrown gables

the small church

where

level than the arches

arch sprang

sorts of piers

at il-Barah

arch

of the piers of the apse

as in III. 197-B, but

side,

shaft

as a

I know positively

The same

not

as at Midjleyya

either side of the apse (Ill. 7 I). A special development

that there were two storeys

ruins.

the

At Ba!?u[;1n the chancel

the in-

architrave

In

-

to find the apse

noticeable

cap of the pier, and against

Hauran.

exam-

form,

broad nave arches carried on piers, as at Brad (Ill. 197-B).

nave

of two storeys

place,

adjoining

so

in nave arcades

impost

the caps

numerous

first

century,

uncommon

often

of the responds

From the

was employed

arcade,

and are fitted

and

ARCHES

In the second

-

of the nave being

in which the voussoirs

that

of the

to speak

of the

lintel,

of true 356

that

arches,

A. II, p. 302.

not all of

just

and

form

that 357

j

form

(Ill. '97-B),

in the Northeastern

Southern

two it is impossible

storey

group

be argued

and this

short,

in the spandril.

may

to the c1earstorey

of its appearance

Northern

it

presented

of an arcuated

divisions,

ples

lintel

The type represented

arch

long and

In the first place,

of the

in each of our geographical

alternately

from a higher

churches

superstructure

element.

cut

springing

number

In the

are sufficient

the

is introduced,

It is not

the use of the one or the

it almost a negligible

of but three

The

in plan and consists

though

keystone

be called an arch.

(Ill. 23).

less than three metres

difference

in (B) a single

of the arcuated

The

earlier

the

broader,

description.

effect

the

except

render

is not a true arch at all,

a development

the end of the fourth

is offset by the lowering

there

to claim some

rare, f

(A), in this illustration,

arcuated

in

simple

is merely

later than

in this

of the

but

are

appear

for columns

height of the arches

of detail

and

varies from three to fourteen of the nave.

the supports

them.

exclusive

that

as to interlock

the

end in salient

Ril)a (Ills. 22,23).

of the piers, which are generally

Above

ill a single

rules prin-

The three

in Ill. 198. It will be seen

may properly

and

plinth-block.

notably

forms,

are

between

at either

churches,

to the length

arches

whole,

of arch

from the accepted arcades.

arch, are shown

by (C) is a fully developed

monolithic

cubical

piers were substituted

creased

types

in the true

orders, between

half columns

in a colonnade

according the

are

as a rule, terminate

position

where

relation

orders,

divergencies

observance

often appear

columns

or responds,

Classic

for the various

is no constant

the

(Ill. 197-A)

at a strict

orders

of the columns shafts

the columns

attempt

of all the three

colonnade.

now to describe

from the later

of the rules of proportion capitals

with a longitudinal

it is important

themselves

were

The

wide building

voussoired

In taking

height

195

P. II,

free

A.

the

them

from

is the presence

the

angles

p. 95, /11· 78.

inside

of the

of columns standing

reveals octagon

of the piers which and

359 Cf. p. 162.

which actually 36Q

Cf. p. 163.

Early Churches

In

Syria

..-_ ~ •. ··'f•. ,' .i •.,.... "'-.-

.

A

B

C IN" 1178

A

:+

w' ,

it!

E

~t-

-. "

,

5"&

. ,.

• • '

I'

"

it!

,

~-

~

"'M·

"0

A,

~r

11.40

: : 4'0

~f'

:f

••

MCM.-tl'1-

3CALE.:

SCALE.-

A

Ill.

J

97.

Types of Longitndina] Systems I A. Simldtlw, Plan and Secsiou, B. B"/jd, Norti: ell/welt, Piau and Sectio1l.

'

'" B

::

', ,,

': ',

·

'

::

IN,,' 111>0

r

Su perstructures support

the

voussoirs

bination

of columns

common

in Syria

al-J:lalhwiyyall

of the great and

but

piers

narthex

at Aleppo.

301

of the "Cathedral"

is cruciform three

in plan

viz. two of the arches but

and

the

the

arm

thrust

of the

resses

projecting

Sim'an,

of pier, in the

and elsewhere, narthex arches,

actual

facade

of the

arch across the no

arch

and is

buttress

to take

arch. This detail

angles

members

narthex;

to support

an exterior

of arch construction.

of this form at the

two

type

of Kal'at

transverse

in the history

is not

form the cross, carry

more nor less than

portant

arches

The other

of the

has

com-

the front of the

one transverse

fourth

nothing

This

found in La lIiad1'asa

of Kerrattn,

across

j

of the arms, which

narthex

to carry

is also

which is found in the narthex

arches.

set

is im-

The

butt-

of the narthexes

at right

have

angles,

serve

only as buttresses,

form

buttresses

in the

narthex

at Kal'at

each

a column

for the

support

of the main arch,

those

of the great

were

and the middle

which

octagon

within.

not of Syrian origin,

though

Exterior

on the Kaisar'iyeh

few

are

examples

of buttresses

along the

Rasafah

at

the edge of the

they

which

the

two

of Rasafah,

early

buttresses as early

at Shakka.

The

of the Sergios

basilica

suggests

that

east

in Syria

in stone of the brick buttressing

of Mesopotamia.

east

like

lies in the extreme

Euphrates,

were an adaptation

strips

have

all late, and the appearance exterior

(.!II. '74),

at

Sim'an

they appear

as the third century other

pair of cruci-

Other

examples

at

I;Iaiabiyyeh,

churches on the

are 302

found

on

which

is

Euphrates.

nine

windows

wall

space

. earlier

CLEARSTOREV

churches,

Simkhar The

.l-

f

clearstorey

arcades

walls

were seldom

upon more

(1.75 m. to 2.50 m.) high of the main arches was provided of the

storey

appear

churches,

and fourth

appear

were

lintel

found

type.

The number their

of arches churches,

the

earlier

window they

is placed are

centred

over them.

Mschabbak, 361 362

more

above

in all The

The a fifth

the

round

where each

the perfectly century

arch; are

arches

not

or

the

preserved structure

the

course

later

These

were,

of course,

trusses.

A

(III.

more

construction Lauzeh,

churches

space for

elaborate

Kal'at

a colonnette

Sim'an

The

of the

Sherns

and

separates chapels,

each corbels

the windows,

below the cor-nice. support

treatment in

the

of these churches,

between

the

but

In the church

block

or just

is to be seen

corbel is placed

except

monoliths.

In the clearstorey

upper

side.

coursing;

walls of the undivided above

that

placed

Kharab

to

square

in the

rectangular

in later

side

either

windows

of small stone of irregular

in three

a large

either

regulated

of

reference

are framed

of Mschabbak

were

those

earliest

in churches

a small

and

clear-

like

on

clearstorey

197-A), consists

pair of windows.

windows

in the nave arcades,

windows

six arches the

without

as in the

of the ar cuated-

is not always

(II!. laid

of the

churches

topped

shape

course

of the in the

invariably

numerous, either

windows

of windows,

by the number

voussoirs

the ends

rectangular

clearstorey,

in

below

The

to have been almost

still preserve

the crowning

nave

courses

& B). The lowest

been

century.

of the

or four

to receive

roofs.

to have

arches three

above

(II!. '97-A

aisle

than

the

than

with sockets

rafters

'the

above

between

of the roof

of this detail

the

churches

and Resafah,

of

of Kalb

where a second

at the level of the window-sill carrying for

the

support

These clearstorey colonnettes porting function of the walls.

of

the

upper

emphasized

corbel.

the

sup-

necessarily columns church

of

184),

has

Cf. p. 170. Sture und Herzfeld, A rchiiologt'sclu Reise im Euphralts-

FENESTRATION

There west

are

usually

wall,

a row

und - Tigris-GtlJiti,

three

storeys

of windows

II, Abbs. 353 & 358.

of openings being

inserted

in the at the

Earl y Churches

lit. 199.

Syria

in

BtiI,;ir(lii, East ClllIrcll,

Facade.

often added

by placing

and

west

in

the

windows

ends

of

open arches of discharge of the

sanctuary according

angular.

The semicircular

closely from The

Itt.

200. SMklt

SIi!1Jt(t1!,

level of the main arches, ground storey and below of the clearstorey. end,

above the portal on the the windows on the level

Including

the windows

there are thus four storeys

facades almost

(ltl. [89). The always

placed

windows

spaced

than

in the gable

of openings

in these

in the side

walls are

with their sills on the

the soffits of the lintels widely

1Ilfary.

St.

of the portals;

the

windows

they

of the

level of are more

clearstorey,

but are of about the same dimensions, except in some of the earlier churches, like Midjleyya, :Hi3 where the windows set

high 363

in the aisle wall are like Romanesque in the

A. 11, p- 96.

wall.

Extra

together three

openings

loop-holes

for light

were

and are variously

is semicircular

apse

or rect-

that is hidden on the

wall,

five

rectangular

radiating

sanctuary

and

generally

provided

these

one

with

a

in the

on the opposite hardly

ward,

though

there

are large

windows

closed

this room

j

with

window

to the east, and

wall. The windows of side

than

but

the

splayed in-

of churches in which diaconicon

usual

of the

capable of being

windows,

for the

as well as

arrangement

doorway

and its narrow

was intended

of the apse are, in

loop-holes

in the

its small

more than two The prothesis is

there are examples

prothesis

diaconicon,

more

of equal size.

spaced.

south

most

cases,

apse is provided with windows

has seldom

widely

the chamber

tightly

the portals. The windows

number,

the proj eeting

j

to

windows,

in the

and by having

if it has windows at all, is with either one opening or with two grouped

occasionally

Cll1wclt of

aisles,

as the plan

by a straight

provided

YA

," ' 0'

'>~ ,=

10

OJ

2°9

0.10

1

) . \

-

'j,) _

~~~"

..

'ita, Kyrios of the

strikingly similar. The names of other Syrian

church

neers and craftsmen are given in the list which follows:

i

at Kasr

il-Benat,

Markianos

Kyris

REFERENCE

of Babiska

P. JIl, 1201.

Mariades

P. III, 1201.

Saako nas

Wadd.

Herakleides

2471.

,

Batu ta (N) Busr

"

il-Harlrl

(S)

P. III, 797'.

Herakleides, Alaphallos

P. P. P. P. P. P.

Gaios

Kefr

III, 1170.

Seleukos

Kefr

N abo (N)

224

III, 1170. 1II, 1143.

Dometianos

I Petros,

Kefr

Nabo

224

III, 1212.

Sergios

III, 1170.

I

III, 1213.

Wadd.

fl. III, 35 = Wac1d.

2682.

A. III, 278, 279.

son of Antoninos

Sergis

= P.

III,

1094·

Damas Sckoundinos

P. III, 1095, 1096 = A. III, 67

Markianos Kyrios

= P.

III,

1076.

fl. III, 73· fl. III, 283.

=

n

, , Kyris

Wadd.

2683.

P. Ill, 108o. P. III, 1141. fl. III, 3· fl. III, 3. P. III, I 176, 1177 (also 1142, 1174& 1190). P. III, 1177. P. III, 1120.

P. Ill, 1120. P. Ill, 1089. P. III, 1161.

(S) Nabo

(N)

224

(N)

Fidreh

(N)

Shekh

Sleman

(N)

Shekh Sleman (N) Shakka (S) Kokanaya Mughr

(N)

Ramditn

(N)

Babiska (N) Babisl,a (N)

n

389 390

Kyrillas

n

Ksed j beh (N)

414-415

421-22

Maris

,

Riba (N) Refitdeh (N)

Dornnos

, , ,

K6kanaya

431

Symones lakobos Barges Kyrkos Kosmas Symeoncs Eusebis Icannes Mar[ .... Eusebios 5'21 Pallad(ios)

Dar

I):ita (N)

Dar

(N)

418

427

(N)

I):ita (N)

Fidreh

(N) (N)

475

,

Bettir

(N)

475

, , ,

Brad

(N)

491

Brad

(N)

496

, ,

(?)

Zerz ita (N)

5°0

Zer z.ita (N)

5°0

Dar Kal'at

Abraam

l):ita (N) Sim'an

(N)

Djebel Shekh Berekat (N)

Wadd.

1984d.

Bassos

Wadd.

2043 = P. III, 685.

Somenos

'U yOn (S) 'Auwas, now at 'Orman (S)

521

n

P, 111, 871, 8S81 988. !l17 Wedd. 2413 n. A. lU, 336. 520 "Vadd. 2474· Probably the same as Eusebis of the Biibis~a inscription, dated 389 A.D.

518 A.

(1)

(1)

452 453 (/)

Bettir

"

(I)

il-Benat

Neikator, son of Meniskos

516

& 401

Kyros

Kasr

fl. Ill, 100, 101.

519

378 386

, ,

Malchos

P. III, 1146. fl. III, 37

(1)

TcxvlT'11:;

Eusebis

fl. III, 76. fl. III, 57

n

Maier, son of Zobaidos

2150.

fl. III, 66

seu'

, , ,

A.D.

Bat uta (N)

aPXJTEXTWV

son of

DATE

PLACE

TITLE

NAME

architects, builders, engi-

IU, 277, 332.

86 3°9

& 496

Early Churches

197. 197. 197. 159.

Salkhad

(S)

345

Thaimos

(S)

345

Salkha d (S)

345 345

"

Authos

"

Asterios

Oranios (i. e. Ouranios)

" "

Authos Boethos

Rabbos

"

of Borechtha

P. III, 713 = Wadd. 2026. Wadd. 2235. Wadel. 2235. P. III, "90. Wadd. 2299. Wadel. 2070 f. Wadd. 2091. Wadel. 1984. A. III, 386 = Wadd. 2168. A. III, 123=P. III, 1159= Waelel. 2693. Wadd. 2021b. Waelel. 2053 f. Wadd. 2421. Wadel. 2465. P. III, 738. P. III, 783'.

Soemos (1)

Terrieros

787'. 787'. 787'°. 800'.

" "

Gadouos

"

Leonidas Magnos

Nameros Alexandros, son ofEdeos

,

Kassios

of Mosemera

Ioannes

Symeznes Onenos

Addos, son of Taroudos Sam ethos, son of Salamos

Abibos Themos

"

l\1ogeeros Tooranes

"

lVlogeeros, son of Ant6ninos Dabanes Tonzikos

,

Gautos

Chasetos,

son

of

Ouabelos P. III, 988. P. III, 871. P. III, 87 I. P. lIJ, 888.

"

Isidoros 15allnes

(,,,ro

Icannes OA(3"VOV) Symennes

O?-(3"vov) Au toni nos

" "

(