Syria Archéologie, art et histoire 94 | 2017 Dossier : Archéologie des rituels dans le monde nabatéen A religious building complex in the ancient settlement of Tayma (North-West Arabia) during the Nabataean period: changes and transformations Sebastiano Lora Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/syria/5766 DOI: 10.4000/syria.5766 ISSN: 2076-8435 Publisher IFPO - Institut français du Proche-Orient Printed version Date of publication: 15 December 2017 Number of pages: 17-39 ISBN: 978-2-35159-739-2 ISSN: 0039-7946 Electronic reference Sebastiano Lora, “A religious building complex in the ancient settlement of Tayma (North-West Arabia) during the Nabataean period: changes and transformations”, Syria [Online], 94 | 2017, Online since 15 December 2019, connection on 23 February 2021. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/syria/5766 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/syria.5766 © Presses IFPO A RELIGIOUS BUILDING COMPLEX IN THE ANCIENT SETTLEMENT OF TAYMA (NORTH-WEST ARABIA) DURING THE NABATAEAN PERIOD: CHANGES AND TRANSFORMATIONS * Sebastiano LORA 1 Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Berlin
[email protected] Abstract – In the centre of ancient Tayma, Saudi-German excavations revealed a large temple (Building E-b1) which had been founded during the 2nd part of the 1st millennium BC and was in use until the Late Roman period. Altogether five major building stages have been identified (E-b1:3a-e). Located within a 1,7002 m walled district, the more-than-500 m2 large building was subsequently connected with a nearby well by a tunnel. In addition to Aramaic inscriptions and monumental statues by rulers of the dynasty of Lihyan, a number of installations have been recorded illuminating the activities within and outside of the building which were connected to the use and display of water.