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Temple of Nabu (Palmyra)

Coordinates: 34°32′59″N 38°16′13″E / 34.54972°N 38.27028°E / 34.54972; 38.27028
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Temple of Nabu
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Colonnade of the sanctuary and temple of Nabu
Temple of Nabu (Palmyra) is located in Syria
Temple of Nabu (Palmyra)
Shown within Syria
LocationPalmyra, Homs Governorate, Syria
RegionRoman Syria
Coordinates34°32′59″N 38°16′13″E / 34.54972°N 38.27028°E / 34.54972; 38.27028
TypeReligious building
Part ofPalmyra
History
Materialgranite, limestone
FoundedCE.1st century[1]
PeriodsRoman Imperial
Site notes
Excavation datesCE.1963-1965

The Temple of Nabu (or temple of Nabo, or Nebo) is a ruined sanctuary located in the city of Palmyra, in Syria and dedicated to the Babylonian deity Nabu. It is considered among the most important of the World Heritage Site of Palmyra.[2]

History and description

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The construction of the temple dates back to the second half[3] or the last quarter of the 1st century CE.;[1] however the oldest structures of the sanctuary, preceding the architecture that reached us, date back to CE.23. and the construction of the porticoes around the temenos continued during the 2nd century CE.[3]

Some bases of the ancient columns of the temple of Nabu.

The temple was dedicated to Nabu, the Babylonian deity of oracles,[4] of wisdom and writing, identified in the Greco-Roman pantheon with Apollo or Mercury.[5] It has been observed that the Palmyrenes' devotion to this oriental god testifies to the relative independence of Palmyra from the prevailing Roman cultural model.[4]

When, between the end of the 2nd century and the beginning of the 3rd century, the central section of the Great Colonnade of Palmyra was erected, the northern part of the temenos The trapezoidal plan[3] of the temple of Nebo was modified,[1][6] but the temple wasn't moved and the colonnaded avenue went around it (it's believed that the traders of Palmyra might have feared negative repercussions from the god if the sanctuary had been moved).[4]

Only a few remains of the ancient sanctuary have survived: the podium on which the temple stood, which measures 180 miles; the bases of the columns that surrounded the main structure of the building; some remains of the external perimeter fence.[1] The temple had a plan structure typical of oriental architecture:[1] the cella was surrounded by a peristyle of 72 Corinthian columns[3] and overlooked an open-air altar facing south; this was accessed from the south through a six-columned propylaeum.[1][3]

The explorers Robert Wood and in front of the ruins of Palmyra (oil by Gavin Hamilton, CE.1757).
Overview of the archaeological site of Palmyra. Print by Robert Wood, made in CE.1753.

The temple of Nabû was discovered, then cleared during the 18th century. The operation takes place during a archaeological expedition. This exploration follows the exhumation of Palmyra of the first urban ruins by merchants from Aleppo, in CE.1691.[7]

The temple of Nabu was excavated between CE.1963 and 1965[5] by a Franco-Syrian archaeological team.[1]

Note

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g R. Burns (2009), I.B. Tauris (ed.), Monuments of Syria: A Guide, p. 214, ISBN 978-1-8451-1-947-8, retrieved September 26, 2015
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference encyclopedia was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e / Temple of Nabu (Palmyra) entry (in Italian) in the Enciclopedia Treccani
  4. ^ a b c D. Darke (2006), Bradt (ed.), Syria, p. 241, ISBN 9781841621623
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference touring was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Barański, Marek (1995). "The Great Colonade of Palmyra Reconsidered". ARAM Society for Syro-Mesopotamian Studies. 1 (ARAM Periodical): 37–46. doi:10.2143/ARAM.7.1.200221.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference sartre was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

Bibliography

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Template:Unesco World Heritage

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