Letter R

304. Reḥāb | رحاب

al-Mafraq Governorate

Church converted into a mosque

JADIS no. 2519001

MEGA no. 7506, mosque 34938

Coordinates: 32°19'21.7"N 36°45'40.0"E

32.3211103, 36.0969463

 

 

 

Plan: broad rectangular with miḥrāb in S-wall, not projecting to exterior. In order to go conform with the correct qibla orientation the mosque has been constructed obliquely into the central and S nave of the church upon the basalt stylobate and the mosaic floor. Only one entrance to the mosque in N-wall facing the miḥrāb. No evidence of interior supports for roofing.

Measurements: ca. 40.9 m2

Exterior: Church: 17 m x 23 m; mosque 6 m x 13 m.

Interior: 4.55 x ca. 9 m.

Building Materials: in major parts rusticated limestone blocks mixed with few basalt ashlars of Roman date, already in reuse for the construction of the Christian Basilica. A limestone lintel used for one of the three church entrances (fig. 304.11) was probably taken from a Roman tomb. Attic Ionic basalt column bases with octagonal ground plates sit in situ on the S stylobate of the church, one of them preserved in the NW corner of the praying room (fig. 304.20).

Construction details: roughly dressed large limestone ashlars, occasionally mixed with few basalt ashlars, up to eight horizontal courses. The joints have been consolidated with concrete mortar during recent restoration. The entrance in the N has at the exterior a frame with a monolithic lintel beam, inside the door the upper frame terminates in an arch. The floor was originally plastered, patches of which are conserved.

Preservation: ruined, the exterior walls have been widely rebuilt in recent time, not in use for Muslim prayer.

Inscription(s): none known.

Date(s): Ayyubid-Mamluk (Rjoub - Houssam 2013).

Traveler Reports: none known.

Bibliography: Kakish 2007, 310-311 no. 129 fig. 191; Housan 2012a, 82-87 fig. 23; Rjoub – Housan 2013, 477 no. 21.

 
Fig. 304.1 Location of the mosque on the central and S lateral nave of the church (Kakish 2007, 311 fig. 191, redrawn by DHM).
Fig. 304.2 Enlarged ground plan (Rjoub – Housan 2013).
Fig. 304.3 Exterior W-elevation of the church with three entrances (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.4 Mosque inside the church from SE (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.5 Mosque inside the church, in the foreground the three apses of the presbytery from E (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.6 Mosque inside the church, in the foreground the three apses of the presbytery from E (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 307.7 Mosque exterior view from NW (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.8 Mosque exterior view from N (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.9 Interior N wall with entrance in recently restored condition (MF 2019).
Fig. 304.10 Interior prayer hall from W in recently restored condition (MF 2019).
Fig. 304.11 Roman lintel from a tomb, in reuse at the W façade of the church (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.12 Exterior view from S (TMW-K2019).
Fig. 304.13 Interior S wall with miḥrāb in recently restored condition (MF 2019).
Fig. 304.14 Interior prayer hall in recently restored condition from E (MF 2019).
Fig. 304.15 Random surface pottery from the environment of the church, late-Roman, Byzantine and Islamic wares (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.16 Entrance to interior, in S wall miḥrāb (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.17 Interior S wall miḥrāb in recently restored condition (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.18 Interior of prayer room, S wall miḥrāb, view from NE (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.19 Exterior N façade with en- trance, door with a monolithic hori- zontal lintel (TMW-K 2019).
Fig. 304.20 Attic-Ionic ba- salt column base of the sty- lobate, preserved in the NW corner of the praying room (TMW-K 2019).

Figures

[Fig. 304.1 ]
Location of the mosque on the central and S lateral nave of the church (Kakish 2007, 311 fig. 191, redrawn by DHM).

[Fig. 304.2 ]
Enlarged ground plan (Rjoub – Housan 2013).

[Fig. 304.3 ]
Exterior W-elevation of the church with three entrances (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.4 ]
Mosque inside the church from SE (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.5 ]
Mosque inside the church, in the foreground the three apses of the presbytery from E (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.6 ]
Mosque inside the church, in the foreground the three apses of the presbytery from E (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 307.7 ]
Mosque exterior view from NW (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.8 ]
Mosque exterior view from N (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.9]
Interior N wall with entrance in recently restored condition (MF 2019).

[Fig. 304.10 ]
Interior prayer hall from W in recently restored condition (MF 2019).

[Fig. 304.11 ]
Roman lintel from a tomb, in reuse at the W façade of the church (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.12 ]
Exterior view from S (TMW-K2019).

[Fig. 304.13 ]
Interior S wall with miḥrāb in recently restored condition (MF 2019).

[Fig. 304.14 ]
Interior prayer hall in recently restored condition from E (MF 2019).

[Fig. 304.15 ]
Random surface pottery from the environment of the church, late-Roman, Byzantine and Islamic wares (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.16 ]
Entrance to interior, in S wall miḥrāb (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.17 ]
Interior S wall miḥrāb in recently restored condition (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.18 ]
Interior of prayer room, S wall miḥrāb, view from NE (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.19 ]
Exterior N façade with en- trance, door with a monolithic hori- zontal lintel (TMW-K 2019).

[Fig. 304.20 ]
Attic-Ionic ba- salt column base of the sty- lobate, preserved in the NW corner of the praying room (TMW-K 2019).