Page 41 - Edessa, 'The Blessed City'-01, by J. B. Segal (Oxford, 1970). Chapters 1-3

28 EDESSA UNDER THE KINGS
the place where the martyrs of Edessa were interred; the memory of the
shrine is probably perpetuated in the modern name of this quarter of Urfa,
§ehitlik Mahallesi, the quarter of the martyrs' tomb.1
With few exceptions, these cave-tombs are of modest dimensions, ranging
from 285 cms. square to 300X317 cm., while the cave of the rich Family
Portrait mosaic is only 250 cm. square. Where a cave leads to an inner cave
the outer one is larger—one outer cave is 470 X4oo cm., the inner cave about
290 cm. square. The entrance to many of the cave-tombs is scarcely visible
until one approaches close to the opening. A few have frame mouldings over
the arched doorway, or one or two pilasters on either side, some also have
figures in the pediment, possibly putti and tritons; one had four fluted
columns.2 Inside the cave-tombs the walls are ornamented with carvings in
the cornice, sometimes with vine leaves. Ranged around the walls are con-
ventional arcosolia, some of them so hollowed out, whether artificially or from
natural causes, that they have almost become sarcophagi; the arcosolia vary
in dimensions from 170 X 95 cm., to 220 X100 or even 125 cm. The niche hi
which they are set has either an arched or a triangular head. The architec-
tural de"cor of the arcosolia varies in its degree of elaborateness. Often the
wall below the shelf on which the body rested was shaped to represent the
legs of a couch, sometimes the niche of the arcosolium is framed in a carved
cornice with a pilaster on either side, crowned with a capital, with rosettes
or eagles with swags or vine leaves or putti. A few have the familiar winged
Victories with wreaths in their outstretched hands. Three are decorated
with a relief on the rear wall of the arcosolium, depicting the deceased man
reclining at a funerary banquet.3 One cave has a bust over the entrance on
the inside, and in the soffit of the niche two busts look down on the arcoso-
lium. Other caves have no carvings, but elaborate mosaics on the floor which
we describe later. A small number have inscriptions in Syriac, either in the
mosaic or carved on the walls; of these some carry dates, but all are in a
script which enables us to assign them to the period of the monarchy or
shortly afterwards.4
1 Today, however, the citizens of Urfa bar Moqimu made for myself this burial place,
ascribe the name of the district to the burial for myself and for my children and for my
there of Turks killed in the defence of the city heirs'; the tomb was therefore set up in A.D.
against the French after the First World War. 201-3. Other tomb inscriptions in the same
For the location of the cemeteries, see the cave- area are briefer. One has simply: 'Moqimu bar
tombs on Plan II. Seleucus', another: 'Rahbu, daughter of Seleu-
z Now in the Urfa museum. cus", a third: 'Magdal, daughter of 'Abedallat,
3 We may also ascribe to the period of the dust! alas!', a fourth: 'This is the image of
Edessan monarchy two other bas-reliefs of a Bar'atha so[n of . . .]', a fifth, ' . . . daughter
funerary banquet in a cave tomb at Kara Koprii, of. . ., sister of Barshemesh . . .'. In the ceme-
north of Urfa; see Pognon, op. cit. p. 179 and tery area of Eyiip Mahallesi is an inconspicuous
PI. XI, and p. 55 below. cave with the inscription over the central
4 See Pis. 1-3, 16-27, 43-4- The tomb at niche: 'In the month Adar in the year [s]2o, I,
Kirk Magara, with a bas-relief of a funerary 'Absha bar Bar'atha made for myself this tomb,
banquet, has the inscription: 'In 513 I, Seleucus for myself and for my children"; the tomb was

www.knanayology.org