BSY_FB_05_p.66

66

Silfâyā

North of this structure was the church,
now completely ruined, only a portion of
the east wall, pierced with small round-
topped windows and a plain doorway on
the south wall are standing. Immediately
south of the church stands a small
rectangular building, possibly a baptistry
with a doorway * of remarkable richness.
A heavy moulding of a series of bizarre
patterns is carried across the lintel, down
the jambs and continued along the base
moulding. These two doorways illustrate
the juxtaposition of a pseudoclassic and
native style which flourished with equal
luxurience of detail in this region, as yet
it is not possible to determine whether
they represent an earlier and a later
period or not. The remaining buildings
on the main hill are all completely
demolished. In the valley a single house attracts
attention. It seems to have been a long