66 Items
Martqopi
Martqopi is monastery in the Kvemo Kartli region of Georgia to the north east of Tbilisi. As with several other ancient monasteries, the village named Martqopi is now some kilometres distant from the monastery of that name as the monastery and accompanying settlement have divided over time and the monastery is known as Gvtaeba. The site is named for St. Anton Martqopeli, believed to have been one of the Thirteen (As)Syrian Fathers and who is believed to have brought the Holy Tile of Edessa (the Keramidion) to Georgia. Although the Keramidion is believed to be a miraculous imprint made on a tile by the Mandylion, the miraculous cloth that Christ left an imprint of his face on and therefore a secondary icon after the Mandylion, in Georgia this story has become confused and St. Anton is now often said to have brought the Mandylion itself to Georgia. The saint is often referred to as a 'Stylite' as he repudedly lived alone in a tower above the main monastery for some years. This building is now closed to visitors but is referred to interchageably as a 'koshki' (tower) or 'sveti' (pillar or column). As at Ubisa this dwelling resembles a tower house rather than the Syrian-style column found at Qal'at Seman and Semandağ. There is also a modern tomb at this site reorted to be that of St. Anton, replicating the situation across a number of sites associated with the Thirteen (As)Syrian Fathers where relatively recent shrines have been constructed.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Church, Edessa, Georgia, Keramidion, Kvemo Kartli, Mandylion, Martqopi, Medieval, Monastery, St. Anton Martqopeli, Stylite, Thirteen (As)Syrian Fathers, Tomb, Tower
Dayr Tell Ada
Dayr Tell Ada stands on the southern slopes of Jebel Sheikh Barakat (the Mountain of the Old Man of Blessings) and plays a large role in the history of the Syrian Orthodox Church. It was mentioned by Theodoret and other chroniclers as the place where Simeon Stylites began his monastic career, before being expelled for the extreme feats of mortification that he insisted on undertaking. It was a 'dual house' for both Syriac and Greek speakers and had two abbots - one for each language - at the time of Theodoret.
It later became the home of St Jacob of Edessa, who died at Tell Ada in 708 having returned to pack up his fabled library when he moved home to Edessa.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Dayr Tell Ada, Edessa, Greek, Jebel Seman, Jebel Sheikh Barakat, Library, Limestone Massif, Monastery, Simeon Stylites, St. Jacob of Edessa, Syria, Syriac, Theodoret
Dayr Yakub
Dayr Yakub is a C5th monastery on the edge of the suburbs to the south of Urfa. The monastery is built on the top of a hill above an ancient quarry and clearly appropriated the site of a former pagan sanctuary. The earlier cult complex was also used as a necropolis as well as a place of sacrifice as a Palmyrene-style tomb tower, complete with a Syriac inscription, was incorporated into the later monastery buildings.
Type: Architecture
Tags: C5th, Dayr Yakub, Edessa, Inscription, Monastery, Necropolis, Palmyra, Quarry, Syriac, Syriac Inscription, Tomb Tower, Turkey, Urfa
Mosaic from Villa of the Amazons
Mosaic with scenes from the life of Achilles with figures including Thetis, Chiron and Odysseus. Border scenes include animals and buildings. Villa of the Amazons, Halepli Bahçe, C5th-C6th.
Type: Mosaic
Tags: Achilles, Animal, C5th-C6th, Edessa, Figure, Mosaic, Turkey, Urfa, Villa of the Amazons
Urfa City Walls
The traces of the west wall of the city, subsumed into buildings of many different periods.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Defensive Network, Edessa, Turkey, Urfa, Wall
Overview of where the Halepli Bahçe mosaics were discovered
The region of Halepli Bahçe where the Villa of the Amazons was discovered.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Edessa, Turkey, Urfa, Villa of the Amazons
Rock-cut tomb chambers, Urfa
The chambers are cut out of the rock beneath the west wall of the old city and have the old city to their east and the Halepli Bahçe to their west. They have been excavated by bulldozer as a new hotel is to be constructed over the chambers and the ruins are to be incorporated into the new building.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Caves, Edessa, Rock-cut, Tomb, Turkey, Urfa
Urfa City Walls
The most complete section of the ancient city walls still extant is in the north-eastern sector of the old city around what is now known as the 'Bey Gate', but which was in fact a bastion.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Bey, Defensive Network, Edessa, Gate, Turkey, Urfa, Wall
The well of the Prophet Job
A well and cave that are associated by local tradition with the places where the Prophet Job suffered and was then cured of a skin disease are located to the south of the old city of Urfa. The complex is called the Eyyüp Peygamber Makamı and the well head is constructed of reused Roman masonry.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Caves, Edessa, Eyyup, Job, Mosque, Roman, Shrine, Turkey, Urfa, Well
Harran Gate, one of the south gates into the old city of Urfa
The Harran gate is built around the original late antique gate and incorporates late antique elements as well as Seljuk sculpture. These views show bot the north and south sides of the gate.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Architecture, Defensive Network, Edessa, Gate, Harran, Late Antique, Sculpture, Seljuk, Turkey, Urfa, Wall