Al-Amd” Archaeological Site Remarkable Landmark in Al-Qrayya

The town of “Al-Qrayya”   in Sweida province is rich in its deep-rooted history as it witnessed several remarkable civilizations . Historically, it dates back to the Roman Empire era according to some archaeologists. 

The archaeological site of al-Amd in the town of al-Qrayya  still hides  many secrets which  have not been disclosed .

Head  of  Sweida Antiquities Department, Dr. Nashaat Kiwan told SANA   that this site was linked to the memory of the town’s residents  as an  archaeological site, but there are no documentary studies about its history and its uses. 

He pointed out  that the site includes part of a corridor roofed with basalt hills above cylindrical columns that are not decorated and in the middle of it are small terraces that may not date back to the period of building the columns itself. 

To the west of the Al-Amad site, as Kiwan said, there is an archaeological cemetery in which excavations carried out by the Sweida Antiquities Department showed finds dating back to the Byzantine and Islamic periods.

For his part, the archaeologist Hassan Hatoum said  that the site is one of the  most important evidence remaining from the Roman and Byzantine eras, and  it represents in its current position  the remains of a temple that was dedicated to the water nymph gods in the Roman era and then turned into a monastery in the Byzantine era. 

Hatoum  added  the  Greek writing that remains to this day indicates  to  the foundation stone of a pond  dating back to the year 294 AD during the reign of the Roman  Emperor Diocletian  in addition to  the remains of a high tower  that was used for observation..

He underlined  that according to a Swiss traveler who visited the area between  1800 -1812 AD,  residents  of the region told him about  a small building near the pool that was called  Hawooz, equipped with channels and gutters that distribute water to the pool and the town’s houses, and it was later removed.

According to  Head of Al-Qrayya town council Walid Shukair, this site, which is  opposite the Great Syrian Revolution statue ,  is located in the Old City, stressing the importance of cooperation with the  Sweida  Department of Antiquities to rehabilitate and invest  it to revive  tourism movement  there , in addition to achieve a proportional urban fabric by cladding the surrounding buildings  with stones commensurate with its archaeological nature.. 

It is noteworthy that the town of Al-Qrayya is about 19 km from the center of the city of Sweida , 1050 meters above sea level, and it is bordered to the west by the ancient city of Bosra.. 

Rawaa Ghanam