The main temple entrance viewed from the outer apses.
The main temple entrance viewed from the outer apses.
The outer coralline passage uprights can
just be glimpsed as can the raised threshold stone, but
this view shows the overlapping arrangement of the inner three pairs of
globigerina uprights really well.
The first pair of globigerina uprights are flush with the outer coralline set,
note the "V" holes on the inner edge
of these stones, the upper southern (right), set has been destroyed by
weathering and the upper northern partially eroded,
both of the lower sets are reasonably well preserved.
The middle set of globigerina uprights have suffered worst from the attentions
of the elements, the northern (left), slab
has been reduced to a stump and the south slab has lost an upper section.
The southern slab still shows the remains of
a 15cm diameter "bar hole" that was drilled right through it, the
large inner upright shows a spherical depression on its
face immediately behind this hole. Note the stonework above the stump of the
northern upright, this is the back of the
pedestal altar that stands in the small sanctum within the front
intramural room.
The last pair of uprights are massive, 3.4m and 4.0m tall, they project past the
inner walls into the space of the outer apses.
Although the surviving capstone rests on the middle two pairs of uprights, the
inner slabs stabilise the lintel from lateral movement.
Note the surviving pitted decoration on the blocks at the foot of the northern
inner upright.