The First Temples in antis : The Sanctuary of Tell Al-Rawda in the Context of 3rd millennium Syria

International audienceThe temples in antis are buildings where the lateral walls of the main hall of worship are continued on the facade on either side of a vestibule. This article shows that this widely spread architectural form, which has a very long history, appears to have occurred approximately at the same time throughout northern and central Syria and in the northern Levant as soon as around 2500–2400 BC.The recent discovery in Syria of a series of temples in antis dated to the 3rd millennium offers an opportunity to re-examine all the existing evidence in the light of these new data. In particular, the excavation of Tell Al-Rawda, in the interior of Syria, offers the exceptional opportunity of studying an entire sanctuary of the end of the 3rd millennium, with its sacred enclosure and its dependences.A comparison of Syrian temples in antis of the 3rd millennium enables us to shed light on the major characteristics of these buildings from the point of view of their form, their orientation, their installations, their environment and their situation in the cities. This architectural formula reflects a cultural homogeneity probably favoured by the development of trade networks. It shows a kind of consensus extending across central and northern Syria which was established in reference to common religious beliefs and ritual practices