Letter U

405. Umm Qēs, Gadara of the Decapolis | أم قيس / جدارا

Irbid Governorate

Muṣallā in the five-aisled basilica

JADIS no. 12 2001

MEGA no. 2654, 114133

Coordinates: 32°39'23.0"N 35°40'24.0"E

32.656389, 35.673333

 

 

Plan: T-shaped, inserted into the central and N lateral nave of the five aisled basilica; square miḥrāb laid around the second column base of the S colonnade of the previous church; most probably an open air muṣallā without roofing.

Measurements: unknown.

Exterior: unknown.

Interior: unknown.

Building Materials: reused Roman / Byzantine basalt stones.

Construction details: only one row of reused basalt stones bond with some lime mortar set directly upon the damaged basilica’s 6th century AD floor mosaic (figs. 405. 5-7).

Preservation: ruined and covered by soil for protection.

Inscription(s): none reported.

Date(s): ‘Abbasid (9th-10th centuries AD or later).

Traveler Reports: none known.

Bibliography: Daire 2002; Weber 2002, 373 no. BD. 31; Ta‘an 2019, 136-137 figs. 3; 141-144.

 
Fig. 405.1 Excavation plan of the five-aisled basilica with the walls of the added muṣallā in the central and N naves (Daire 2002).
Fig. 405.2 Schematic ground plan showing the open air muṣallā in the five-aisled basilica with the walls of the added muṣallā in the central and N naves (Daire 2002).
Fig. 405.3 Aerial view of the five-aisled basilica with the walls of the added muṣallā in the central and N naves taken by the end of 1998 ex- cavation (photo courtesy of J. Taylor 1998).
Fig. 405.4 View of the five-aisled basilica with the walls of the added muṣallā in the central and N naves taken by the end of 1998 excava- tion (TMW-K 1998).
Fig. 405.5 Mosaic floor of the five-aisled basilica, in reuse for the ‘Ab- basid muṣallā (TMW-K 1998).
 
Figs. 405.6-7 Detail view of birds in the mosaic floor of the five-aisled basilica, in reuse for the ‘Abbasid muṣallā (TMW-K 1998).

Figures

[Fig. 405.1 ]
Excavation plan of the five-aisled basilica with the walls of the added muṣallā in the central and N naves (Daire 2002).

[Fig. 405.2 ]
Schematic ground plan showing the open air muṣallā in the five-aisled basilica with the walls of the added muṣallā in the central and N naves (Daire 2002).

[Fig. 405.3 ]
Aerial view of the five-aisled basilica with the walls of the added muṣallā in the central and N naves taken by the end of 1998 ex- cavation (photo courtesy of J. Taylor 1998).

[Fig. 405.4 ]
View of the five-aisled basilica with the walls of the added muṣallā in the central and N naves taken by the end of 1998 excava- tion (TMW-K 1998).

[Fig. 405.5 ]
Mosaic floor of the five-aisled basilica, in reuse for the ‘Ab- basid muṣallā (TMW-K 1998).

[Figs. 405.6-7 ]
Detail view of birds in the mosaic floor of the five-aisled basilica, in reuse for the ‘Abbasid muṣallā (TMW-K 1998).