The Cordova daily times., 1922-08-30

unfortunately not single example re mainS
 When these temples were taken pos session of by the Christians, a church was erected over this altar, part of which was destroyed and then the space leveled up with the earth so that the church floor was above the top of the altar; so, also, the lower part of the staircase was filled over, while the upper part was removed to accOmm0- date the apses.
 Attributed to Theodosius.
 The construction of this basilca Is attributed to Theodosius, Roman en- peror of the East, who reigned towards the end of the Fourth century of our era. The Great temple was demolished to furnish materials for the construc- tion of this church.
 The Great Temple itself has been al- most entirely destroyed. All that Is left are six columns of the peristyle, still standing in their original places capped with Corinthian capitals and joined by ornate and massive entabla- ture These lofty pillars do not taper as they appear to do when seen from below. They are over 60 feet high and 71a feet in diameter and are each com posed of three drums.
 One can perhaps best mentally re- construct the Great Temple by an in spection of the smaller one, dedicated to Bacchus which lies to the south- east of the Great Temple, entirely in- dependent of it and on a lower level.
 The walls of the main enclosure OF celia. which is oblong, are quite plain on the outside and are built of care fully dressed stone, the joints so per feet that a knife-blade cannot enter between. Around this at a distance of 10 feet runs on the two sides and ends a row of smooth columns which forms the perlstyle.
 These, including their capitals, are about 52 feet high and are surmounted by magnificent entablature. This en- tablature is connected with the walls or the celia by enormous slabs of stone, which are elaborately carved with the heads of emperors, deities, and inter- woven with floral designs, forming an exquisite ceiling.
 The door posts are elegantly carved with figures of Bacchus, fauns, cupids satyrs and bacchantes, woven around which are grape vines and clusters of fruit, also peoples and ears of wheat, all of which are symbolical of the attributes of the reveling god to whom the temple Is dedicated
 Great Doorway 43 Feet High.
 This great doorway, which dwarfs the human figure stands 43 feet high and 21k feet wide, while the carving of the posts just mentioned covers space about 6 feet wide. On both sides of this door stand graceful fluted columns. forming the prostyle or DOT tico. while the plain ones of the peri style, which stand behind them, seem to reflect their beauty.
 The decorations of the walls of the interior of this temple resemble the carvings of the eXedrae of the great court, having two rows of niches for statues one above the other and di- VlueQ peTpe1ulCuldIiy iIoili caSu othSi by engaged fluted columns.
 AS already mentioned, these tenn ples stood on a raised platform rest ing on substructures. The great tenn ple lies 441a feet above the level of the plain and Is the highest part Of the entire inclosure, while the great court was only 23 feet lower.
 An inclosing wall, the mammoth stones of which have been the marvel of engineers for ages, deserves mention. The lowest courses are built of stones of moderate dimensions, but which grow rapidly in size until we come to row of three enormous stones, the shortest being 63 feet and the longest 65 in length, and each being about IS feet high and 10 feet thick. The course of which they form part is some 20 feet above the surface of the ground.
 They are the largest building blocks eyer known to have been used by man; and still larger one lies In the an cient nearby quarry, never having been detached from the rock beneath. This one is 10 feet long by 14 by 13 feet.