Church of Saint Phokas Complete
ID: 58
Building type: church
Context:
village; monastery
Description:
In accordance with the usual manner of church building in this region, we have here a three-aisled basilica (total dimensions: 24 m x 15.4 m). It has a semi-circular apse and two pastophoria. One of the Syriac inscriptions found here give the date of the construction of this church as 491/492 CE. Judging from this and the architectural style Tchalenko (1953a, pp. 231-233) came up with an idea that the same team which had just completed the construction of Qalʿat Simʿān, was also involved here. The village lies very close to Simeon's pilgrim centre, and the architectural solutions are very similar. This small basilica is certainly later than the great sanctuary. But since there is no dated building inscription for the latter, the date from Bāṣūfān is considered a terminus ante quem for the entire Qalʿat Simʿān. During the medieval period, the church of Bāṣūfān was probably converted into a fortress. The church may have had a monastic character, see Tchalenko, G. (ed.), Villages antiques de la Syrie du Nord: Le Massif du Bélus a l'époque romaine, vol. 3 (Paris: P. Geuthner, 1958), p. 88; PAES IIB, 307 and Ill. 306. Plan after Tchalenko, G. (ed.), Villages antiques de la Syrie du Nord: Le Massif du Bélus a l'époque romaine, vol. 2 (Paris: P. Geuthner, 1953), Ol. LXXIV.