As-Suwayda-Sana
The gates of the ancient city of Shahba in As-Suwayda Governorate are among the most prominent landmarks of the cultural heritage, which indicate an ancient civilization that flourished and formed, with its ruins, a wonderful model of distinguished architectural art with all its components.
The construction of the gates, according to the researcher in the field of antiquities, Dr. Nashat Kiwan, dates back to the period during which Emperor Philip the Arab ruled the Roman Empire between the years 244 and 249 AD, where he built four main gates from the four sides of the city in addition to two small gates, one of which was revealed part of the western wall of the city and the other Its remains are still in the eastern part of the city.
The Shahba gates were built, as Kiwan mentioned to SANA reporter, according to a beautiful architectural and engineering style, as skilled hands mastered their construction with the construction of a defensive wall equipped with several towers to protect and fortify them due to the historical position occupied by the city.
Kiwan said: These lofty gates, with their basalt stones in the form of triumphal arches, permeate a large corridor four meters wide, in addition to two small doors two meters wide on each side in order to enter through them by the city's residents at that period. To the west, each street ends with a gateway.
The gates that are still standing to date, were carried out, as Kiwan mentioned, some repairs and rehabilitation due to the collapse of stones caused by the time factor, but they are still a mark and symbol of the city and carry great connotations in it.
Kiwan pointed out that those who go to the city of Shahba must pass through or beside these gates that tell the story of centuries ago.
The city of Shahba, 90 kilometers south of the capital, Damascus, is rich in many archaeological monuments that bear witness to an ancient civilization, including the theater, which is a beautiful model for small theaters in Syria, as well as the museum, baths, and the imperial temple.
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