Monastery (Deir) Complete

ID: 153

Building type: one-aisled church

Context:

urban/rural

Site:

Inscriptions:

239

Description:

Situated on a low rise at the southwestern margin of the site, the monastery occupies a slightly elevated position. Downslope to its north lies a modest cemetery. The northern part of the complex comprises several rooms of moderate size; the central chamber preserves a notably intact mosaic pavement, arranged as a checkerboard grid with crosses in its fields. This sector communicates with the church through two doorways. The church itself is a small building, 12 by 5 meters, consisting of a nave and an apse once screened by a chancel, fragments of which are still preserved. Near the threshold of the doorway leading to the church there is a two-line inscription in Syrian-Palestinian. Bibliography: al-Muheisen, Z., "Les fouilles de Hayyan al-Mushrif", [in:] M. Piccirillo, “Ricerca StoricoArchaelogica in Giordania XV – 1995.” Liber Annuus (1995), pp. 519-22. idem, "Hayyan al-Mushref Project" [in:] Particia M. Bikai and Virginia Egan, “Archaeology in Jordan.” American Journal of Archaeology (1997), pp. 532-33.