Butler Diary: Northern and Central Syria V, 1900

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The plan is that of three nearly equal compartments - the central compartment open to the air by a lofty arch which extends the entire length of the building.

The compartments on either side are divided into two stories the lower chambers being spanned by a broad transverse arch. This upper story is reached by a stair in the thickness of the wall between the central and western compartments.

The original floor of the central compartment was higher by over a meter than the level of the side rooms, and a continuous moulding or corbel is carried around at that level from the lower or ground level, which is now well filled up. Broad arches open to the west under the stairs.

On the exterior the rear and end walls are quite plain laid of carefully dressed blocks with tooled edges. The facade is the only interesting feature. At either end of the facade is a small door

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opening into the lower chambers of the ground floor. High above these ^ is ^ a single window on either side. These are richly moulded over lintel and jambs and projecting sills are also moulded.

The central feature of the great arch of the mid compartment, flanked by narrow pilasters with simple moulded caps - the archivolt is also moulded.

A low platform seems to have been carved across the opening at the height of the floor and steps are still plainly traceable on the western end - possibly these steps were carried across the entire opening.

To the right of the arch, as you face it, well up on the wall is a large niche of semicircular section. The bottom of the niche is bracketed out and within the niche itself is a broad pedestal as if to receive a group of statuary with a figure above at the rear and other figures below. Above the crown of the great arch and

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at either side of the springing are stumps of statues which were apparently flying figures naught remains now but folds of drapery.

What the use of such a building might have been is difficult to say. A monumental fountain ? but there are no signs of water works. A tomb structure ? but the chambers contain no sarcophagi or arcosolia. A temple perhaps but why this strange orientation and why this division into five large compartments?

That sculpture abounded is certain for large and small fragments, heads and complete bodies may be seen on all sides. There are inscriptions too, some dated as early as Agrippa some as late as the Antonines, all are dedicatory, some record the gifts of statues, but none mention the name of a diety.

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Tarba and vicinity. May 15 - 21, 1900

We passed by Shaḳḳā and other points of interest and pressed on to Tarba from whence we were to make our excursion into the Ruḥbe. On the 16th I made an excursion to Mālirîyeh, the northeastern outpost of the Haouren and found it an extensive ruin consisting of small houses and defence towers all built in the crudest manner of rough broken stone only the jambs and lintels of some of the doors were dressed - a few of the houses showed primitive exterior stairs made of long pieces inserted in the wall and the crude method of flooring and roofing is illustrated. The walls are corbelled out all round by two or three successive courses projecting above one another and then long slender blocks or lacs are laid across. These were covered with boughs and such as in the method employed at the present day by the Druses.

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