Publication Date
41 - 132 / 661 - 750
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;jo;Mon01;3;ar
Library Location
Bella is located in the northern Jordan Valley, about 150 km northwest of Amman, Bella, Jordan
Date
41 - 132 / 661 - 750
Notes
Pella is a large site with a long history. It consists of a 400 m-long flat surface facing, across a flowing valley, a high natural hill (Tall al-Husn). Settlement on the site dates back to the Paleolithic times, while the Islamic site is concentrated on the flat surface (Spot IV). In the year 13 / 635, a battle took place in Tabqa Fahl between the Arab Islamic forces and the Byzantines, which ended in the defeat of the Byzantine forces. In the years 98 / 717 and 131 / 749, the area was subjected to earthquakes that led to the collapse and destruction of many buildings, but settlement on the site continued into both the early Abbasid and Mamluk periods. Archaeological excavations at the flat site (Spot IV) revealed residential buildings dating back to the Byzantine and Umayyad periods. These buildings were constructed of sun-dried brick and were erected on stone foundations. These buildings consisted of two floors, the second of which was designated for housing, while the ground floor was used for storage and sheltering animals. It appears that the earthquake that struck the region in AH 131/AD 749 was so strong that it led to the demolition of buildings, among the ruins of which human and animal skeletons were found. Byzantine-Umayyad buildings were also uncovered above what is known as the civil complex, which was built above a church located to the east of the flat surface.
Sample Text
Mohammad Najjar "Bella" in Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;jo;Mon01;3;ar
