Butler Diary: Northern and Central Syria V, 1900

33

On the way to the Ruḥbe we passed through the ruins of Diyâtheh one of the eastermost towns of the Haurân in ancient times. The town was built on the steep bank of a deep wadi. It was a poorly built place like Mālikîyeh showing similar features.

The chief point of interest is a complete Roman Camp, at the top of the bank of the Wadi, an ancient stronghold against the the Bedouins. It is a complete fortress of the Roman type 50m. by 76m. The walls are stout, heavy laid in mortar. There are redoubts at the four angles and in the center of each of the four sides - the tower on the south side is double - the side toward the town. At intervals in the wall crude stairs like those described above led to the top of the walls. In the upper story of the towers were small rooms for the guard.

Temple_il Mushennef

Temple_il Mushennef

plan, temple

34

il-Mushennef. May 21, 1900

This is a small ruined town about an hour to the south of Tarba. Several inscriptions were reported from here by M. Waddington but the buildings were not published by de Vogüé.

The greater portion of the town is completely ruined - a part has been rudely rebuilt to accommodate a small number of Druse families.

The sole interesting feature of the place is now the Roman Temple - a little building in excellent style - well preserved except for its facade which has been greatly disfigured by being walled up with loose stones where the building was fortified.

Its plan is distyle in antis. It is raised upon a low base. The cella seems to have had no Eastern wall behind the columns but was spanned by two transverse arches, which sprang from deep pilasters, and supported a roof of stone?

The temple is constructed of well-dressed and fitted blocks of basalt - the four angles

plan of structure, elevation, details, column and capital

il-Mushennef

plan of structure, elevation, details, columns and capitals