The Ain Dara Temple and the Giant Footsteps of the Gods - Syria Ain Dara is a small village in the northwest of Aleppo, Syria, which boasts a remarkable structure – the Ain Dara Temple, located just west of the village. The temple was discovered in 1955, when a colossal basalt lion was found, quite accidentally in fact, which led to extensive excavations of the site. The Ain Dara Temple is an Iron Age Syro-Hittite temple lined with basalt blocks engraved with lions, sphinxes, and mythical creatures. One of the most interesting features of the Ain Dara Temple is the giant footprints carved into the stone floor of the temple. Some scholars have suggested they are animal prints, while others have suggested they depict the footsteps of the gods. The most common view is that they are an iconic representation of the resident deity, carved to show the presence of the deity as he/she entered the temple and approached the throne in the inner sanctum.
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 14:44:29 +0000
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