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The monuments
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Today, Qanawat contains the most significant
group of ancient monuments in the Jebal Al-Arab.
Some buildings probably date back to the end of
the first century B.C. but only some
architectural elements from that period survive
and these are scattered or have been re-used in
more recent constructions. Most of the surviving
buildings are from the 2nd and 3rd
centuries A.D. and with the Christian period
starting on the 4th century.
The Temple of Helios
This extra muros temple dates back from the end
of the 2nd century or early 3rd
century A.D. and it is located in the lower part
of the site, west of the city and close to the
actual road from Sweida and Atil. From the
contents of the fragmentary inscription we know
that it was dedicated to the sun-god Helios. The
temple had a “peripteros” plan: 31 columns
surrounding the “Cella”, the abode of the god
comprising 9 columns per side (long sides), 7 at
the back and two rows of 6 at the front. These
columns of which 7 are standing, stand on
pedestals decorated with mouldings. The temple
itself is built on a podium under which there
was a crypt. The lower parts of the “Cella”
which were still visible at the end of the 19th
century have now disappeared.
There are inscriptions on the pedestals probably
naming the donors of each column. The temple
makes a beautiful site during the evening, at
the time when the sun disappears bellow the
horizon.
The Temple of Zeus
A second large temple is located in the upper
part of the city, South East of the basilical
complex now called “sarail” (The Palace).
The Greek inscriptions are dedicated to the god
Zeus “the very great”.
The temple had a colonnade at the front with a
vestibule carried by two other columns and lying
between two overhangs of the side walls (the
antas). The cella was divided into
three isles by two rows of columns and, at the
back, the cult statue stood in a raised room (adyton)
situated between to small side rooms. This
monument, which like the previous ones, dates
from the Severian period, has suffered greatly
since when the 19th century
travellers describe it and only the bases of the
walls remain together with the podium and
various architectural elements such as columns
and capitals, visible in nearby gardens.
During the Christian period, a third Roman
temple was incorporated into the basilical
complex.
The large cistern
A large rectangular cistern (17x 14.50m.) has
been cleared and can be seen by visitors near
the temple of Zeus. It is 5m. Deep and is
divided into seven bays by six rows of
rectangular pillars supporting arches. In the
South-East corner small cylindrical settling
tanks were built to remove the sediment. A
channel built on basalt is preserved in the
North-East corner. Located on the upper part of
the city, this cistern was used to supply it
with water. It has been dated to the 4th
century A.D.
The baths
There are several interesting public buildings
in the lower part of the city. Among these,
thermal baths have recently being excavated and
studied. Although smaller than those discovered
in Bosra and Shahba-Philoppopolis, they are
designed on the imperial Roman model and
constructed using the same techniques; in
particular, the same types of heat conduits and
water pipes were found. A hot room (caldarium),
a warm room (tepidarium) and a steamroom
(laconicum o sudatorium) have been identified.
The other parts of the building are now hidden
under the neighbouring town-hall and mosque
(Mejlis). These baths have been dated to the
first half of the 2nd. Century A.D.
The Khan “caravanserai”
East of the baths lies a large building dating
from A.D. 124-125, identified as a hostelry by
an inscription. It comprised two storeys with a
hall and a yard paved with basalt flagstones.
The Façade, built of well cut basalt blocks was
marked with crosses in the Byzantine period, at
which time the building was turning into a
house.
The Basilica
A large group of monumental buildings known as
the “Sarail” (palace) was set up for Christian
worship between the 5th and 6th
centuries, partly on top of earlier
constructions.
To the west, a church was laid out on the site
of a 2nd to 3rd century
temple, with a triconic adyton on the
south. Three of its walls and the front portico
with its six columns are preserved. The fourth
wall has been removed to the west so as to
enlarge the area in order to build a three nave
church. In the west façade there are three
doorways, constructed from materials taken from
pagan edifices. Their frames are decorated with
foliage adorned with fruit, grapes, pomegranates
and figs. A cross was added in the centre of
each lintel. Inside the church, in the South –
East corner, there is a stair case which gave
access to the galleries. The old south apse has
become a martyrium where the believers
venerated the relics of saints. The sanctuary
facing east was installed in the last two bays
of the central nave but only the base of the
choir screen survives. The first group of
constructions may date from the 5th
or the beginning of the 6th century.
East of this church, there was originally a long
three nave basilica devoted to civil affairs
such as justice and probably business. This area
was cut in two. A wall running across, preserved
to a height of nearly 10 m. was built, including
a magnificent doorway adorned with foliage.
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