#kanatha

Temple C (Kalybe of Kanatha)

Kanatha (Qanawat), Hauran, Syria

2-3rd century CE

The Temple was a square structure, whose entrance façade, was made of of a four-pillar propylon, nestled between corner pillars facing north. This array, resembling the distyle in antis is quite rare in classical architecture. The four column had corbels designed for placing statues at about half their height. This decorative element is also quite rare in classical architecture, and is found only in a few sites in Syria. The space between the two main pillars in is greater than the spaces between the side pillars and it carried a Syrian gable, with its curve towards an arch is still visible.

The two long east and west walls of the temple were smooth. They stand behind the pilasters of the propylon and connect to the south wall of the temple, i.e. to a wall in the center of which is the apse. The southern wall, that is, the wall in front of the entrance, was designed as having a semicircular apse with adjacent rectangular rooms on both sides. Both rooms opened to the north, that is, towards the inner space of the temple.

 Inside the rounded wall of the apse were three ornate niches, rounded in the outline, which were arranged symmetrically: a niche with a larger opening in the center and next to it smaller niches. The inner space of the temple, which is located between the apse wall and the propylon at the entrance, and between the two long walls wasn’t roofed. Entering the temple through the Syrian gable- crowned  propylon, one would find himself standing in a rectangular plaza that stretched in front of the two-story wall with a semi-circular niche in the center, covered by a half-dome in which the emperor's statue stood.

A Kalybe (κάλὑβη) is a type of temple found in the Roman East dating from the first century and after. They were intended to serve as a public facade or stage-setting, solely for the display of statuary.They were essentially stage-sets for ritual enacted in front of them. The kalybe has been associated with the Imperial Cult.

below: remains of geometric wall painting on western conch of adyton

Nymphaeum of Kanawat

Kanawat (Kanatha), Hauran, Syria

2nd half of the 3rd century CE

The Nymphaeum of Kanatha is located within a valley to the east of the wall of old town of Qanawat and remains filled with water for several months. The Nymphaeum has a rectangular shape with eight niches. The Odeon is located on the eastern bank of Qanawat Valley and to the north of the Nymphaeum.

Temple of Rabbos

Kanawat (Kanatha), Hauran, Syria

2nd/3rd century CE

The temple is a Cointhian Hexastyle* peripteral and faces toward the east, with a double row of six columns on the front, single rows of nine on the sides, and a single row of seven in the rear, the latter being a very unusual arrangement, probably adopted to regulate the intercolumniation. 

For years, this temple was believed to honour Helios, but an inscription discovered in 2002 shows that it was dedicated to a local god, Rabbos.

Seven of these columns are still standing to their full height. Only the plan of the exterior wall of the cella can be traced, but this shows a series of pilasters corresponding to the columns with only a narrow pteroma between. The whole temple stood on a podium, paved with large slabs of stone which formed the ceiling of a basement within the podium, and was approached by a flight of steps between two parotids on the east front of the temple. 

Originally there was probably a large paved court surrounding the whole building, and this has been shown in the plan though no data either for its existence or extent were found, other than the paved courts that surround many temples of the same period in the Hauran.

Pictures here recolorized for the first time using playback

Odeon of Kanawat

Kanawat (Kanatha), Hauran, Syria

2nd/3rd century CE

On the eastern bank of the stream, about opposite the middle of the town, and at the foot of a rocky precipice, is the little theatre, or Odeon. The koilon is partly cut into the natural rock and partly built up at both ends; none of the seats is actually carved out of the solid rock. Seven rows of seats are plainly visible in the ruins, an eighth is to be seen near the middle at the top, and a ninth was found under the loose wall of broken stone that now extends across the upper part of the koilon. It is probable that there were several more rows. 

only nine rows remain, but it is estimated it could seat an audience of 2,000. It was enlarged at the beginning of the 3rd century: in the celebratory inscription the building is referred to as an odeon, which means it was used also for public assemblies; having a large theatre added to the prestige of a town and stressed its belonging to the Hellenistic world.

The podium is preserved throughout its entire curve in a base moulding and one high course of stone, and the cap moulding is in place at several points. An inscription 3 in fine large Greek letters was carved just below the cap-moulding, and apparently extended around the whole semicircle. The only approach from the orchestra to the seats that I could find was a double flight of steps in the middle of the podium where there is a narrow opening in the wall and steps ascending on either hand. Two klimakes divide the semicircle of seats into three cunei, and traces of two other flights of steps were found at the ends of the semicircle. Nothing whatever remains of the stage buildings except very thick foundation walls; but the walls of a parodos on either side of the orchestra show that there were vaulted passages opening upon the orchestra by arches with pilasters set 3.80 m. back from the ends of the podium. I have shown the plan of the parodos on the right and have indicated seats extending over that on the left. A well-made ditch, lined with slabs, runs between the remaining walls of the parados and the ruins of the stage building.