Abstract

The excavations by the State Organization of Antiquities at a small shrine at Hatra proved to be important in various aspects. The shrine, which is located to the east of the Great Temple, is oriented towards the west. The excavator believes, on architectural and archaeological grounds, that it has two building phases. In the first, the shrine consisted of a broad cella built of ashlar masonry with three entrances on the west side; the middle opening is the widest and is decorated with an arch. The facade with three entrances is also found in shrines V, IX, X. The lintel of the central entrance bears an Aramaic inscription stating that certain persons had constructed the shrine and dedicated it to the worship of GND’, the Arab god of Fortune. The narrow staircase, which led to the roof, is enclosed in the thickness of the southern wall. This architectural feature was not found in the rest of the small shrines, the staircases of which were built along one side wall, but it is common in the larger temples, i.e. Saḥiru, Samas, and the Great Iwans in the Great Temple enclosure. The floor of the rectangular niche, which had the same function as the cella, is reached by a few marble steps. The excavator has found fragments of a cult statue, an inscribed relief of a priest, and an altar. Like most of the small shrines, in its early phase the shrine had a low bench, made of marble, running along the inside of the broad cella's wall.

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