BSY_FB_16-17

17

Church. The only religious building of which any
considerable remains are preserved in Hâss is
a church about quarter of a mile to the southwest.
The ruin, like many solitary ruins in Syria, is
called by the natives Kasr il-Benât. It was seen
and published by de Vogüé. It has been much
destroyed since de Vogüé's time, only the south
eastern tower and the south wall remaining.
It is still possible to trace the lines of the curved
apse within the flat east wall of the church. This
seems to have been added after the completion of
the church for the curved wall closes a door
leading into the south chapel. There were probably
two eastern towers, one over each of the chapels, both
projected beyond the walls of the nave. The south
tower which is preserved almost intact has two
openings in the outer wall and only a window upon
the aisle of the nave. The windows are large and
quite plain, in fact the whole structure shows
two mouldings except on the 2 south doorways
which have deep mouldings with a large corona left
for carving but uncut.