Syrian archaeologists have unearthed an early Christian church and a cemetery at the site of Tal Hasaka, northeastern Syria, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Archaeological site of Tal Hasaka (SANA)
Dr. Abdul-Masih Baghdo, head of the archaeological expedition, said that the church is 22.50 m long and 14.50 m wide, located to the south of a cathedral, which was discovered during the past three seasons. The church, dating back to the Early Christianity Era, was built with basalt stones. Its walls were painted with gypsum.
“The church can be entered from the southern part of Tal Hasaka through an entrance leading to a lobby, adding that the first part of the church can be accessed through 3 entrances, 1 m wide each,” said Dr. Baghdo.
“The first part includes a 8.60 m long and 12.90 m wide temple, separated from a lobby with two 1.10-m-diameter basalt columns.”
“Next to the church’s northern wall there is a chair made of basalt stones and bricks pained with gypsum, believed to belong to an important religious figure. A seat for a lower ranking clergyman was found to the south of the southern wall, and to its west, a number of seats were unearthed.”
“In the middle of the eastern side of the temple was the second part of the church, which is the sanctum sanctorum, 5.10 m long and 2.10 m wide. The entrance facade is decorated with two semi-circular stone columns. In the northern side of the cathedral, an 18 m long 8 m wide cemetery was found with its ground pained with gypsum. It includes 3 temples decorated with semi-circular columns and 18 tombs,” said Dr. Baghdo.
