Visiting Apamea   Maalula Homs Crac Chevaliers Aphamea Mudiq Castle Hama   The Triclinium To the east of the intersection of the large colonnade and the modern road which now covers the decumanus, are the ruins of a building said to have been a triclinium. The triclinium was comprised of nearly eighty rooms grouped around a vast peristyle and two interior courtyards. The sumptuous mosaics decorating the floors, including "Scenes from the hunt" (first quarter of the 5th century) now exhibited at the Brussels’ "Musées Royaux d’Art Amazonians" (third quarter of the 5th century) exhibited at the Apamea Museum, along with other rich ornamentation, seem to indicate that this residence was the home of one of the province’s top authorities, or even that of the Governor of Syria Secunda himself. The Cathedral Right by this are the remains of the "Cathedral of the East". This was originally a martyr where the town of Apamea’s relic of the cross was kept. After earthquakes in the 6th century, it was developed into a cathedral and became the seat of the archbishop. A veritable Episcopal group was subsequently edified to house the entire religious administration. The mosaics discovered under the cathedral, notably the mosaic "Socrates and six of the seven Greek sages", now exhibited at the Apamea Museum, are significant reminders that Apamea was once a prestigious center ancient philosophy. On the other side of the decumanus opposite the cathedral are the remains of the two houses known as "the console house" and "the pilaster house". A little further on are the vestiges of the "house with console on the capital" and that of "the stag", both private residences that testify to a surprising level luxury and refinement. Heading southwards after crossing the decumanus, and a little further to the left of the cardo, is the church with an atrium (an interior courtyard usually surrounded by a covered portico). Destroyed by the earthquakes of 526 and 528, it was then rebuilt and expanded on several occasions. The rectangular-shaped reliquary caskets kept here were particularly interesting. The pilgrims used to pour oil through a funnel in the lid of these caskets which contained the relics of saints, and would then catch the oil in little cups on the side of the casket. Back up by the intersection of the cardo and the decumanus, the vestiges of a church have been discovered on the south-west side of the cardo. This church known as the rotunda has a central ground plan and was probably built during the Justinian era. The Theater Built during the second century AD, the theater, which has a 139 meter facade, was one of the biggest, if not the biggest in the whole of the ancient world. Thanks to the frequent earthquakes that have regularly shaken this region, all that now remains of the theater is a huge block of stone. The surviving part of the stage wall, the first rows of seats with their stones moldings and the south wall with a fine barrel vault that was once one of the entrances to the theater do, however, give some idea of the natural beauty of this great shell now bared open to the nearby fortress. Sadly, there is no hope that the theater will be resurrected from this chaos one day as, over the countries, the most beautiful and finely-crafted stones have been pillaged.     Previous - Next
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