Arches: architectural & engineering things of beauty

Wandering among the ruins and the cities of Syria, I was constantly reminded of just what amazing structures we humans have built. Whether buildings had been erected in Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad, Ottoman, or any other times before, during, and after (such as the Dead Cities), often all that remains of a structure are its arches . They have withstood earthquakes, wind, dust storms, neglect.
Below are photographs taken all through our trip of arches in mosques, churches, Roman temples, monasteries, other public and private buildings, walls, gates, aqueducts.

Bab Sharqi, Damascus


The Citadel, Aleppo


Roman columns & arches on the grounds of the Umayyad Mosque, Damascus


The baths, Apamea; those holes were where the water pipes came in


Old City, Hama


Grand Mosque, Damascus


Monastery courtyard, Krak de Chevalier


Khan off the Souk. Damascus


Inside St. George's Monastery


The Inn at Serjilla


The wine & olive presses, Serjilla


Church, Dead City of Serjilla


Remains of two story house, Dead City of Serjilla


Chapel ,Krak de Chevalier


Baalbek, Lebanon


Courtyard in a khan, Alepppo


Ressafa in a sand storm


Inside Ressafa


St. Simeon


At St. Simeon, north of Aleppo


Colonnade at Palmyra


The three arches, Palmyra