Taurus from the Adh-Dharish Temple Facade

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Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
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published on 18 February 2019
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Taurus from the Adh-Dharish Temple Facade Download Full Size Image

This statue of Taurus was part of the temple's facade. The temple was designed according to classical fashion. It contains major constitutional elements of classical architectural order, but its decoration was not classical at all. The temple stood up to 15 meters high and was built in the Nabatean village of Khiribt Adh-Dharish, around 100 CE.
The frieze above the architrave had figures of the Zodiac alternating with winged Victories, who crowned these Zodiac figures. The discovered Zodiac figures were Taurus, Gemini (also known as Dioscuri), Cancer, Libra, and a fragment of a cuirassed Saggitarius; the others were very badly damaged or missing.
Is the Zodiac depicted here is a sign of an astral Nabataean cult, or does it represent the local adoption of the zodiacal calendar that was known in several contemporary cultures? (The Jordan Museum, Amman, Jordan).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2019, February 18). Taurus from the Adh-Dharish Temple Facade. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10093/taurus-from-the-adh-dharish-temple-facade/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Taurus from the Adh-Dharish Temple Facade." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified February 18, 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10093/taurus-from-the-adh-dharish-temple-facade/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Taurus from the Adh-Dharish Temple Facade." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 18 Feb 2019. Web. 21 Dec 2024.

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