Dressed Quarry Stone Wall by: Traditional Mediterranean Architecture ,Corpus

In the MEDA area, we find dressed quarry stone in all environments: urban, rural, in mountain, plain and sea side. Its presence is generally common. In Lebanon, dressed quarry stone (Moqassab) is often used everywhere: rural environment, urban, plain, mountain and sea side.

Finding a "firm base" or “good ground” is a preliminary for the builder. If rock shows on the surface, the wall is built directly above. If not, all countries dig a small trench (~ 50 cm deep), practically never deeper than 1m. the width can be equal to the thickness of the wall above-ground, but it can also be up to twice this thickness. Combination of 2 factors : width of the trench and type of filling materials: adjustments and adaptation to each spot and ground. The materials are always stony: the trench is filled with stones, generally linked with mortar. If the module is small, the trench is broader. Several countries reported construction over ruins used as foundation. In Lebanon, dressed quarry stone walls are built either directly on rocky ground, or a trench is dug if the ground is loose. The foundation is filled with a coarser rough stone masonry, laid in mortar, slightly broader than the thickness of the wall, and reaches solid ground level.