TÜRKÇE
Portal lion
Broken pieces of the basalt portal lion were found in 1936-1937 in Hama citadel during the Danish excavation in secondary context in later period levels in the area just to the north of Building II. Missing parts, particularly the backside have been reconstituted later. The collossal-sized lion is entirely worked as a statue. Along with the restored base, it is 2.34 m in height, 3.14 m in length, and 0.91 m in width. It is believed that originally it stood at the east wing of the north entrance of Building II. Only a few small fragments of its counterpart have been recovered. With its large size and heavy Assyrian-influenced style, it is very different from other gate lions found in Hama. A date in the second half of the 9th century BCE has been suggested. It is currently in the Hama Museum, and the fragments of its counterpart are in the National Museum in Copenhagen.
