Butler Notes: Islamic Architecture in Central and Northern Syria

10

Serdjilla

House No. 4 is situated at the extreme S.W. angle of the town, high above the Wadi, at the top of the slope, on the opposite side of the Wadi from the houses just described. The two muslim compartments are perfectly preserved in two stories, and a portion of the lower colonnade, a fine example of slender Tuscan order, is still in situ. A natural pavement for the courtyard was formed by smoothly dressing the solid rock.

The two houses which comprise No. 5 are less well preserved, but both apparently belong to the early period of Serdjilla - the 4th century. These houses are built on the side of the slope, and the eastern half of the [most ......ly] of the two houses is situated on a lower level. There are steps to provide for this difference of levels.

12

Serdjilla

The houses shown on p13 are situated on the eastern edge of the ruins, near the middle of that side: one plan represents the long, one storied rows of small houses which probably constituted the Nabataeans of the poorer classes. They are built of large blocks of stone, well dressed, the interior arches are wide and heavy. Each compartment has an ornamented lintel and one or two niches by way of decoration.

The other plan is that of a villa of the early type, S.E. of it is a one story dwelling with a colonnade of piers.

Between the houses of the town and along the streets are rows and rows of monolithic rectangular piers, which seem to mark the ancient sites of gardens. Along the streets the spaces between the piers are half filled up with loose walling. The piers probably carried wooden trellises for vines, as has been suggested in some of deVogüés [restoration|illustrations].

14

Serdjilla

Tomb. On the southern side of the Muslim half of the ruin, about halfway up the slope, is the ruin of a small pyramidal tomb. The rear wall is wholly rock hewn, with but a single course below the base of the pyramid: the side walls are half rock cut, and the front or, E. wall, is wholly artificial. The pyramid thus covers only the open chamber of the tomb, but the arcoslia being hewn in the rock on three sides.