Temple of Hercules (Amman)
Temple of Hercules is a historic site in the Amman Citadel in Amman, Jordan. It is thought to be the most significant Roman structure in the Amman Citadel. According to an inscription the temple was built when Geminius Marcianus was governor of the Province of Arabia (AD 162-166), in the same period as the Roman theater below. [1]
Description
A model of how the temple was supposed to be completed
The temple is about 30 by 24 m (98 by 79 ft) wide and additional with an outer sanctum of 121 by 72 m (397 by 236 ft).[2] The portico has six columns ca. 10 m (33 ft) tall. Archaeologists believe that since there are no remains of additional columns the temple was probably not finished, and the marble used to build the Byzantine Church nearby.[3]
Colossal Statue
The site also contains a hand carved out of stone and identified as that of Hercules.[4] The statue to which the hand belonged is estimated to have been over 12 m (39 ft) tall, and probably destroyed in an earthquake. All that remains are three fingers and an elbow.[2]
References
- ^ “Temple of Hercules, Citadel, Amman, Jordan”. art-and-archaeology.com.
- ^ a b “Hand of Hercules”. atlasobscura.
- ^ Ignacio Arce. “Early Islamic lime kilos from the Near East. The cases from Amman Citadel” (PDF). Proceedings of the First International Congress on Construction History, Madrid, 20th-24th January 2003.ed. S. Huerta, Madrid I. Juan de Herrera , SEdHC, ETSAM, A. E. Benvenuto, COAM, F. Dragados, 2003.
- ^ “The Temple of Hercules”. Rough Guides.
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