403. Umm al-Jimāl | أم الجمال

al-Mafraq Governorate

Jāmi‘ (?) in reuse of the extramural “western basilica”.

JADIS no. none

MEGA no. 2978, 58332

Coordinates: 32°19'44.0"N 36°22'04.6"E

32.328886, 36.367953

Plan: A mosque has probably installed in the naós of the Christian church which was of three aisled-basilica plan in the customary E-W orientation. The long rectangular naós was divided by each four-arched arcades on piers into three naves. The presbytery has been blocked by a wall with a centralized door at an unknown date. In the center of the S wall, another door opening might have been used as a miḥrab. It is difficult to explain the cross medallions (fig. 403.5) in the soffits of the arches unless they had been covered by wall plaster during the use as a Muslim prayer house. Remains of thick wall plaster is preserved in the former pastophoria. It cannot be excluded that the wall in front of the altar room has been built in the early 20th century by Druze settlers at the site.

Measurements: unknown.

Exterior: unknown.

Interior: unknown.

Building Materials: Basalt.

Construction details: Two-sided masonry of carefully squared basalt blocks with a core of rubble fill.

Preservation: ruined, on the antiquities site, not in use for Muslim prayer.

Inscription(s): none known.

Date(s): Ayyubid-Mamluk (?)

Traveler Reports:

Bibliography: PPUAES II A , 3 (1913) 187-189; Piccirillo 1993, 187- 189 figs. 653-654; Michel 2001, 176-177; Arce - Feissel - Weber 2014, 22. 25 figs. 12-13.