Princeton Expeditions to Syria (1899, 1904-1905, 1909)

Churches with relief mouldings

Ḳalb Lauzeh Bāḳirḥā West ch & Bapistry Bāḳirḥā East Ch Bashmishli Dar Kilā S.Ch Burdj id-Dērûnī Kо̄kanâya S. Ch. Kasr Iblesu Bānḳûsa Djūwanîyi Dersêta Kh. Tezin Khirbit Tēzîn Ruwêḥā Baʿuda Ḥâṣṣ 'Arshîn

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Dersêta November 17-23, 1899

The ruins of this extensive town are about half an hour to the north east of Bānḳûsa (p.61) across a broad valley in which are a number of olive groves. The site is now occupied by a small Mohammedan settlement and was occupied during the middle ages by the Saracens who have left traces in a number of pointed niches, roughly built walls and two groups of tombstones with dates ranging from 13th to 16th cent.

All the buildings are greatly dilapidated. The chief monuments are a large church, a polygonal baptistry, both of which were published by De Vogüé and a large number of private residences - some of which are also mentioned by him.

The church is the largest in plan of any in the whole district - It was quite simple with broad semicircular apse completely consealed by the east wall which was ornamented

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Dersêta

with tall colonettes supported upon corbels.

Only the north and south walls are well preserved the former is remarkable for two richly decorated doorways, in advanced Byzantine style, and a row of tall round topped windows, some of which preserve the frames of fine plate tracery - a single plate to each window. In every case the open work is lost, but there is no mistaking the original purpose of the ruin with its remnants of tracery. The north wall preserves a fine, continuous line of round headed windows and a portal with an open relieving arch above it. These windows are moulded [all around] and there are deep mouldings at the base line and the line of the window sills. The interior was divided by two rows of six fine Byzantine columns with spreading capitals and well moulded bases. The church seems to have been rich in ornamented within and without.