Octagonal Church 1

View looking northeast at the inner portion of the “Octagonal Church” at Gadara.  The black columns outline this octagon while the short white column is where the altar of the church was located.  The acropolis of Gadara is visible in the background.

This type of church was evidently a “pilgrimage church” although the reason for pilgrimage to this site is not known.   Four tombs and five reliquaries (boxes, or places that contained boxes, that contain holy objects) were found in this church.  It was evidently constructed in the early sixth century.