تويت
شارك Ajaj Salim تحديث الحالة عامر رشيد مبيض مؤرخ.
كنيسة قلب لوزة رائعة الفن المعماري في سورية
The church of Qalb Lozeh
عامر رشيد مبيض ، مؤرخ حلب عالم آثار Aleppo
قلب لوزة قرية صغيرة تجثم على قمة أحد الجبال العالية في محافظة إدلب ، ويرتفع عن سطح البحر 600م .
ـ كنيسة قلب لوزة تجمع بين عظمة وفخامة التفاصيل الدقيقة الماهرة .
ـ إن الحجارة الكلسية المنحوتة ، تكشف عن روائع فنية متعددة ، إذ نجد فيها الجمال متجسداً بالتفاصيل المنحوتة بدقة متناهية .
ــ إن العمارة الرومانسية في العصور الوسطى ولدت في ـ دير كلوني ـ وطورها لاحقاً رهبان ـ سيتو ـ بتأثير موجات الرهبان القادمين من سورية . ويلاحظ التشابه بين بازيليكية قلب لوزة في سورية ـ والواجهة الرئيسية لكنيسة ـ بونتونسون ـ الفرنسية من العصر الرومانسي .
كنيسة قلب لوزة
Amer Rachid Mobayyed
The historian of Aleppo
The church of Qalb Lozeh, a small town located upon one of Al-A'ala Mountain's tops in Idleb governorate, is located 600 m. above the sea level, 65 km. far from Aleppo on the main highway connecting Aleppo with Antioch, near the frontier post of "Bab Al-Hawa". The highway that leads to Qalb Lozeh passes by Der Al-Brej, Bashmeshli and Bamuqa.
The modern town of Qalb Lozeh hides the old town; you would only see the remains of walls. With no doubt, this town would have vanished if this great church had not existed. The site of the church far from houses, along with its huge dimensions made it more than a town church since it was not built for the town but the town was built for the church. The church was isolated inside a great wall as a site of pilgrimage.
The church of Qalb Lozeh could survive 12 or 13 centuries. Even people of different denominations have worked in its renovation and reconstruction; they rebuilt the collapsed lintels and towers.
The origin of its name:
Historic and archaeological data did not mention the reason why it was called Qalb Lozeh although historic resources have given it different names with no reason, such as "Qasser Lozeh and Qalb Lozeh". The scholar Fayez Qossara said in his book "Qalb Lozeh, page 8" that its name was derived from the verb "Yalouth: shelter".
However, I say this analysis is not correct at all… Because the word "Lozeh" (almond) is a noun not a verb, it is a type of nuts, while the verb "Yalouth" is written with "th" not "z"… and thus Lotheh is not the same as Lozeh.
Since historic references have not mentioned the origin of the name, I guess it was named Qalb Lozeh after a female saint whose name was Lozeh. She might have made a lot of charity to the church and to the poor. After her death, people of the town might have named the church after her name, Qalb means heart, which indicates to her compassion; Lozeh is her name… that is only my guess, and God only knows .
History of the church: تاريخ بناء الكنيسة
Archaeologists have different opinions upon the date of the church's construction; most archaeologists agree that it belongs to the 6th century and that it was built on the style of St. Simon's church, built in 476-490 A.D. However, the professor "Tchalinko" sees that the church of Qalb Lozeh is a little older than St. Simon's church, established by an Empire expedition with workers from everywhere. Moreover, he thinks that it traces its history to the mid-5th century. According to professor "Vaugouet," who has been the first to visit this church among western researchers and he wrote about it, it dates back to the 6th century. However, according to the American archaeologist "Butler" it must have been built by 480 A.D., the archaeologist "Grossman" speculated it had been built at the same time of the construction of "Butair church," which is 2 km. to the north of Qalb Lozeh and dates back to 469; his conjecture was based on the similarity between the two churches.
ـ Qalb Lozeh is a masterpiece of the Syrian architecture:
قلب لوزة رائعة الفن السوري
The church of Qalb Lozeh represents the Syrian architecture during the Christian era. It combines the glory and elegance with many fine and precise details. The limestone, which exists everywhere, shows creative art and exceptional taste. The church charms the visitor, who will find wonderful details while looking deeply into the building.
The diagram of the church: تصميم كنيسة قلب لوزة
The church of Qalb Lozeh "27.5 * 16.5 m" is distinct for its basilica style; it is one of the first churches where the main section is carried upon, instead of columns, huge and heavy supports on which arches depend. This is why it was called by some researchers a cathedral, but it has never been a cathedral.
The width of these arches assures the joining of the side wings with the main section. There is some other renovation in the church; the curve protrudes and is carried upon a series of columns and illuminated by three windows. In addition, the curve is preceded by a long corridor, which is not a part of the curve, but a part of the main section itself. On the two wings of this corridor are the Martyrium and Diaconicum rooms. This part of the church, the curve and the two rooms are called the sanctuary.
The main section still carries the remains of an architectural element that is common between many Syrian churches of that era, which is "Beema".
The professor "George Tchalinko" says, "One of the disadvantages of churches with columns is that the illuminated floor with its heavy mass depends on weak supports, while churches with supports include a complete cohesion between arches and the upper parts of the church, which depend on strong supports. Until that time, the mass of the church's ceiling and bricks had been only carried on the side of the lucarne with no connection to the rest of the section, particularly in this country where mortar is not used for bonding bricks. Thus, you can easily imagine the destruction caused by frequent earthquakes. Since, the mass of the ceiling moved to arches using "Consoles" carried upon small pillars supported by other consoles. This advancement in the construction of the main section and the curve in the church of Qalb Lozeh is not just a technical renovation. The architect knew how to use this feature to create a novel shape of the church which would be an example followed by other churches of "Justinian" era, such as the church of Brad, Al-Rweha and Al-Rasafa. Although these churches have witnessed some change, their architects depended on the style of the church of Qalb Lozeh. When you see the meticulous sculpture in the church, you feel the existence of an architect next to the constructor even is the smallest details. This great attention has been the reason of the longevity of the church. It is now in a good situation that enables you to draw a picture of the church with its details. There is only some partial damage in the main frontage because of earthquakes; the north wall was knocked down by peasants.
The church's nave: صحن الكنيسة
The nave is composed of two lines of magnificent arches, and in the middle is a circle with a cross from which come rays of the sun. The main section includes two illuminated spaces; each one has eleven windows, in addition to three ones on the western frontage and three on the wall of the curve. The church is not only highly illuminated, but the light is equally distributed because the arches are so wide that the heavy mass appears like flying in the space. This is a feature characteristic to Qalb Lozeh.
Interior and exterior frontages of the church: واجهات الكنيسة
Frontages of the church received special attention; there is a plinth around the church. For the first time we see the low windows and the doors' arches surrounded by a very thin frame. The two wings meet at the western frontage to form a wonderful interruption that shows the balcony above the entrance. Here you see the arch of the entrance and the distribution of the framed towers' windows. On the illuminated floor, you see the frames of windows that surround the straight lintels. The weight of the curve is reduced by a series of columns and by its large windows, also surrounded by continuous frames.
The church's portico and its parts: رواق الكنيسة وأقسامه
The portico is made of three parts: the entrance in the middle with a magnificent arch that was surmounted by a wooden roof covered with brick, and two side rooms like towers to the right and left. Each tower consisted of three floors; each floor contained two windows separated by a wonderful pillar. On one of these pillars between windows to the left, a sculpture represents St. Simon Stylite.
ـ The upper floor of the tower is triangular. These two towers had stairs that have collapsed; they used to lead to the roof of the portico and the two side suites. According to professor Tchalinko, one could attend the Mass from here; this is an indication to the great number of people.
ـ The architecture of the church: جماليات عمارة كنيسة قلب لوزة
Its architecture resembles that of a church with three sections and an Iwan. The exterior wall of the left wing has disappeared to show the visitor before he enters the lines of the main section. The place is well illuminated. Arches are still complete and are carried by small columns with adjoining capitals. The central columns contain square openings surrounded by a decorated frame. Large stones are well paved; the interconnection is enough to decorate the walls and the cupola of the church. The decoration is limited to some projections that come out to show the curvature of the openings and the frames of the doors.
With no doubt, the large arch, one of the side doors in the south and the gate to the church are of the most noticeable features of the Syrian Christian architecture in the Byzantine era.
The beauty of the architecture of the church of Qalb Lozeh, as well as its decoration, is shown in every detail. For example, the small windows of the upper floor of the main suite: the opening is square, but very small cuts enlarge the frame to make it hemi-circular.
The carved decorations, either inside or outside the church, may not be fully described in this context. Photos are a good witness to this elegance and richness. This immense wealth does not disguise the function.
All of the features we talked about do not isolate the church of Qalb Lozhe from other churches of the region and do not make an exception either. It represents the peak of architecture in Al-A'ala Mountain. The top of the mountain was skillfully reached by a great architect, who was the Christian Syrian architect, not a foreigner. His works originated in genuine local traditions, the source and development of which is apparent in the remains that exist in Al-A'ala Mountain
كنيسة قلب لوزة رائعة الفن المعماري في سورية
The church of Qalb Lozeh
عامر رشيد مبيض ، مؤرخ حلب عالم آثار Aleppo
قلب لوزة قرية صغيرة تجثم على قمة أحد الجبال العالية في محافظة إدلب ، ويرتفع عن سطح البحر 600م .
ـ كنيسة قلب لوزة تجمع بين عظمة وفخامة التفاصيل الدقيقة الماهرة .
ـ إن الحجارة الكلسية المنحوتة ، تكشف عن روائع فنية متعددة ، إذ نجد فيها الجمال متجسداً بالتفاصيل المنحوتة بدقة متناهية .
ــ إن العمارة الرومانسية في العصور الوسطى ولدت في ـ دير كلوني ـ وطورها لاحقاً رهبان ـ سيتو ـ بتأثير موجات الرهبان القادمين من سورية . ويلاحظ التشابه بين بازيليكية قلب لوزة في سورية ـ والواجهة الرئيسية لكنيسة ـ بونتونسون ـ الفرنسية من العصر الرومانسي .
كنيسة قلب لوزة
Amer Rachid Mobayyed
The historian of Aleppo
The church of Qalb Lozeh, a small town located upon one of Al-A'ala Mountain's tops in Idleb governorate, is located 600 m. above the sea level, 65 km. far from Aleppo on the main highway connecting Aleppo with Antioch, near the frontier post of "Bab Al-Hawa". The highway that leads to Qalb Lozeh passes by Der Al-Brej, Bashmeshli and Bamuqa.
The modern town of Qalb Lozeh hides the old town; you would only see the remains of walls. With no doubt, this town would have vanished if this great church had not existed. The site of the church far from houses, along with its huge dimensions made it more than a town church since it was not built for the town but the town was built for the church. The church was isolated inside a great wall as a site of pilgrimage.
The church of Qalb Lozeh could survive 12 or 13 centuries. Even people of different denominations have worked in its renovation and reconstruction; they rebuilt the collapsed lintels and towers.
The origin of its name:
Historic and archaeological data did not mention the reason why it was called Qalb Lozeh although historic resources have given it different names with no reason, such as "Qasser Lozeh and Qalb Lozeh". The scholar Fayez Qossara said in his book "Qalb Lozeh, page 8" that its name was derived from the verb "Yalouth: shelter".
However, I say this analysis is not correct at all… Because the word "Lozeh" (almond) is a noun not a verb, it is a type of nuts, while the verb "Yalouth" is written with "th" not "z"… and thus Lotheh is not the same as Lozeh.
Since historic references have not mentioned the origin of the name, I guess it was named Qalb Lozeh after a female saint whose name was Lozeh. She might have made a lot of charity to the church and to the poor. After her death, people of the town might have named the church after her name, Qalb means heart, which indicates to her compassion; Lozeh is her name… that is only my guess, and God only knows .
History of the church: تاريخ بناء الكنيسة
Archaeologists have different opinions upon the date of the church's construction; most archaeologists agree that it belongs to the 6th century and that it was built on the style of St. Simon's church, built in 476-490 A.D. However, the professor "Tchalinko" sees that the church of Qalb Lozeh is a little older than St. Simon's church, established by an Empire expedition with workers from everywhere. Moreover, he thinks that it traces its history to the mid-5th century. According to professor "Vaugouet," who has been the first to visit this church among western researchers and he wrote about it, it dates back to the 6th century. However, according to the American archaeologist "Butler" it must have been built by 480 A.D., the archaeologist "Grossman" speculated it had been built at the same time of the construction of "Butair church," which is 2 km. to the north of Qalb Lozeh and dates back to 469; his conjecture was based on the similarity between the two churches.
ـ Qalb Lozeh is a masterpiece of the Syrian architecture:
قلب لوزة رائعة الفن السوري
The church of Qalb Lozeh represents the Syrian architecture during the Christian era. It combines the glory and elegance with many fine and precise details. The limestone, which exists everywhere, shows creative art and exceptional taste. The church charms the visitor, who will find wonderful details while looking deeply into the building.
The diagram of the church: تصميم كنيسة قلب لوزة
The church of Qalb Lozeh "27.5 * 16.5 m" is distinct for its basilica style; it is one of the first churches where the main section is carried upon, instead of columns, huge and heavy supports on which arches depend. This is why it was called by some researchers a cathedral, but it has never been a cathedral.
The width of these arches assures the joining of the side wings with the main section. There is some other renovation in the church; the curve protrudes and is carried upon a series of columns and illuminated by three windows. In addition, the curve is preceded by a long corridor, which is not a part of the curve, but a part of the main section itself. On the two wings of this corridor are the Martyrium and Diaconicum rooms. This part of the church, the curve and the two rooms are called the sanctuary.
The main section still carries the remains of an architectural element that is common between many Syrian churches of that era, which is "Beema".
The professor "George Tchalinko" says, "One of the disadvantages of churches with columns is that the illuminated floor with its heavy mass depends on weak supports, while churches with supports include a complete cohesion between arches and the upper parts of the church, which depend on strong supports. Until that time, the mass of the church's ceiling and bricks had been only carried on the side of the lucarne with no connection to the rest of the section, particularly in this country where mortar is not used for bonding bricks. Thus, you can easily imagine the destruction caused by frequent earthquakes. Since, the mass of the ceiling moved to arches using "Consoles" carried upon small pillars supported by other consoles. This advancement in the construction of the main section and the curve in the church of Qalb Lozeh is not just a technical renovation. The architect knew how to use this feature to create a novel shape of the church which would be an example followed by other churches of "Justinian" era, such as the church of Brad, Al-Rweha and Al-Rasafa. Although these churches have witnessed some change, their architects depended on the style of the church of Qalb Lozeh. When you see the meticulous sculpture in the church, you feel the existence of an architect next to the constructor even is the smallest details. This great attention has been the reason of the longevity of the church. It is now in a good situation that enables you to draw a picture of the church with its details. There is only some partial damage in the main frontage because of earthquakes; the north wall was knocked down by peasants.
The church's nave: صحن الكنيسة
The nave is composed of two lines of magnificent arches, and in the middle is a circle with a cross from which come rays of the sun. The main section includes two illuminated spaces; each one has eleven windows, in addition to three ones on the western frontage and three on the wall of the curve. The church is not only highly illuminated, but the light is equally distributed because the arches are so wide that the heavy mass appears like flying in the space. This is a feature characteristic to Qalb Lozeh.
Interior and exterior frontages of the church: واجهات الكنيسة
Frontages of the church received special attention; there is a plinth around the church. For the first time we see the low windows and the doors' arches surrounded by a very thin frame. The two wings meet at the western frontage to form a wonderful interruption that shows the balcony above the entrance. Here you see the arch of the entrance and the distribution of the framed towers' windows. On the illuminated floor, you see the frames of windows that surround the straight lintels. The weight of the curve is reduced by a series of columns and by its large windows, also surrounded by continuous frames.
The church's portico and its parts: رواق الكنيسة وأقسامه
The portico is made of three parts: the entrance in the middle with a magnificent arch that was surmounted by a wooden roof covered with brick, and two side rooms like towers to the right and left. Each tower consisted of three floors; each floor contained two windows separated by a wonderful pillar. On one of these pillars between windows to the left, a sculpture represents St. Simon Stylite.
ـ The upper floor of the tower is triangular. These two towers had stairs that have collapsed; they used to lead to the roof of the portico and the two side suites. According to professor Tchalinko, one could attend the Mass from here; this is an indication to the great number of people.
ـ The architecture of the church: جماليات عمارة كنيسة قلب لوزة
Its architecture resembles that of a church with three sections and an Iwan. The exterior wall of the left wing has disappeared to show the visitor before he enters the lines of the main section. The place is well illuminated. Arches are still complete and are carried by small columns with adjoining capitals. The central columns contain square openings surrounded by a decorated frame. Large stones are well paved; the interconnection is enough to decorate the walls and the cupola of the church. The decoration is limited to some projections that come out to show the curvature of the openings and the frames of the doors.
With no doubt, the large arch, one of the side doors in the south and the gate to the church are of the most noticeable features of the Syrian Christian architecture in the Byzantine era.
The beauty of the architecture of the church of Qalb Lozeh, as well as its decoration, is shown in every detail. For example, the small windows of the upper floor of the main suite: the opening is square, but very small cuts enlarge the frame to make it hemi-circular.
The carved decorations, either inside or outside the church, may not be fully described in this context. Photos are a good witness to this elegance and richness. This immense wealth does not disguise the function.
All of the features we talked about do not isolate the church of Qalb Lozhe from other churches of the region and do not make an exception either. It represents the peak of architecture in Al-A'ala Mountain. The top of the mountain was skillfully reached by a great architect, who was the Christian Syrian architect, not a foreigner. His works originated in genuine local traditions, the source and development of which is apparent in the remains that exist in Al-A'ala Mountain