Butler Diary: Northern and Central Syria I, 1899

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Bettir November 13, 1899

After crossing over from the Djebel el A'la to the northern end of the Djebel Barisha ^see p. 50^ we returned after ten days to the valley and encamped in the modern village of Hattân.

From this point we visited several towns in the northern end of the valley and one town in the Djebel el A'la that we had omitted.

This is the ruin of Bettir not over 3/4 mile north of Barrîsh on the very edge of the precipitous slope of the Djebel el A'la.

The ruins comprise a small church and a variety of much ruined private houses.

Church. The church is situated at the south eastern extremity of the town. It is of simple plan (no. 3) with 2 rows of 3 arches each on piers - not columns - It measures 58ft 6. x 34ft outside. The aisles are 9ft 6. wide. There is a western portal, destroyed and another to the south intact. Only the eastern wall, the south apse chapel, and a portion of the adjoining S. wall are standing.

Last edit 5 months ago by Visual Resources, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University
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48

Bettir

The pier caps are decorated in stiff foliate patterns and measure 38 x 50in. at top and 19 x 36in. at impost. The ornament of the church is quite simple, on the interior it was confined to the apse arch, and the caps of the piers and pilasters. Outside the ch. is very plain, the only remaining portal is simply decorated over its lintel but before the west portal was a portico with twisted grooves - The shafts of these are preserved but the form of the portico is completely lost.

At the east end was a colonnade of six cols with stiff Corinthian caps - This also is destroyed. Among the ruins was found a small window plate ^ much broken ^ about four inches thick with half of a small wheel window preserved in a fragment.

Among the houses which were chiefly in plain quadrated style is one small rectangular house with lintel inscribed in GK (W.K.P. insc 35) The date of the building is given April 10, 475 A.D..

Two sarcophagus tombsone ornamented on side.

Last edit 5 months ago by Visual Resources, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University
BSY_FB_05_p.49
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Kefr Mâres and Taltîtā

From Hattan we moved the camp to Maʿrâtā from which place we visited numerous ruins in the southern half of the Djebel Barisha and two towns on the southern end of the Djebel A'la. These were Kefr Mâres and Taltîtā. Both towns are completely ruined, having been the sites of Saracenic castles and being still occupied by the huts of a few Druses. There are tombstones inscribed in Arabic writing form.

North of Kefr Mâres is a ^ half ^ built tomb square with 2 arcosolia ^ excavated ^ in the rock on each of 3 sides and a superstructure supported by a central column (see photo)

At Taltîtā, also north of the town, is a tomb of ^ square ^ form with only one low opening and provided with a steep pyramidal roof.

South of the town, on the hightest point of the range, is a sacrophagus tomb with elevated base.

The bastion of the Saracenic castle is built of ancient stone taken from destroyed buildings. One of them, a lintel bears the date Sept. 619 A.D. (W.K.P insc 46)

Last edit 5 months ago by Visual Resources, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University
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