
Bull's head.
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The Great Altar is not the greatest altar at Faqra: the Tower of Claudius
is larger. Still, with a height of six meter, it is an impressive
monument. The parapet is interrupted on two places, which make it
possible to place a ladder against the building. This means that only
small animals can have been sacrificed on this altar.
One wall is decorated with a relief of a bull's head. The typical decoration of the parapet (photo below, to the right) is
also known from Petra. Over there, it is believed to be a
representation of mud brick structures, and it is called "Assyrian
style" because it is supposed to be Mesopotamian. It is believed to be Early Hellenistic.
A satellite photo of the altar area is here.
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