43 Items
Fortifications, Zalabiyeh
The fortification of Zalabiyeh is recorded by Procopius who attributes the building of the defences to Justinian's reign. As with much of Procopius' testimony this claim must not be accepted out of hand. The remains of the defences show evidence of at least two major phases of building. The oldest phase is composed of ashlar faced walls with a rubble and concrete core, the later phase is made up of ashlars throughout. The later phase appears to have been only present in some of the towers and is certainly part of a renovation of the defences where some of the older towers needing replacing. These two different wall building techniques are mirrored across the river at the fortifications of Halabiyeh, Zalabiyeh's sister site. I have proposed that the site was not originally fortified by Justinian but was rather repaired during his reign and had older origins, potentially during the reign of Anastasius.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Anastasius, Citadel, Defensive Network, Deir ez Zor, Euphrates, Fortifications, Fortress, Halabiyeh, Justinian, Late Antique, Procopius, Syria, Zalabiyeh
Late Antique Walls, Side
In Late Antiquity the city of Side had a much shorter, strategic line of defences built within its original line of Hellenic walls. These new defences incorporated the theatre as part of the defensive line. The triumphal arch attached to the theatre also became part of the defences and the arch's aperture was significantly reduced. The new defences were built primarily of spolia looted from derelict or abandoned buildings in and around the city. The clearest evidence of spolia use in the walls can be seen in the use of column drums usually included to add strength to the walls by tying the two outer faces together. The last image, in the background, behind the building covered in scaffolding (The temple of Tyche), shows the late antique part of the wall in front of the theatre.
Type: Architecture
Tags: Fortifications, Late Antique, Military Architecture, Turkey
Syro-British Mission to Deir Ez Zor, Salvage Excavation of the Citadel of Zalabiyeh on the Euphrates. Preliminary Report of the First Campaign (2010)
An internal report submitted to the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) in Damascus and to project sponsors.
Type: Text
Tags: Citadel, Deir ez Zor, Euphrates, Excavation, Fortifications, Fortress, Halabiyeh, Late Antique, Syria, Zalabiyeh