On The Outside Of These Sepulchres, The Rock Is Cut Away Perpendicularly
Above And On Both Sides Of The Door, So As To Make The Exterior Facade
Larger In General Than The Interior Apartment.
Their most common form is
that of a truncated pyramid, and as they are made to project one or two
feet from the body of the rock they have the appearance, when seen at a
distance, of insulated structures.
On each side of the front is
generally a pilaster, and the door is seldom without some elegant
ornaments.
These fronts resemble those of several of the tombs of Palmyra,
[p.427] but the latter are not excavated in the rock, but constructed
with hewn stones. I do not think, however, that there are two sepulchres
in Wady Mousa perfectly alike; on the contrary, they vary greatly in
size, shape, and embellishments. In some places, three sepulchres are
excavated one over the other, and the side of the mountain is so
perpendicular that it seems impossible to approach the uppermost, no
path whatever being visible; some of the lower have a few steps before
their entrance.
In continuing a little farther among the sepulchres, the valley widens
to about one hundred and fifty yards in breadth. Here to the left is a
theatre cut entirely out of the rock, with all its benches. It may be
capable of containing about three thousand spectators: its area is now
filled up with gravel, which the winter torrent brings down. The
entrance of many of the sepulchres is in like manner almost choked up.
There are no remains of columns near the theatre. Following the stream
about one hundred and fifty paces further, the rocks open still farther,
and I issued upon a plain two hundred and fifty or three hundred yards
across, bordered by heights of more gradual ascent than before. Here the
ground is covered with heaps of hewn stones, foundations of buildings,
fragments of columns, and vestiges of paved streets; all clearly
indicating that a large city once existed here; on the left side of the
river is a rising ground extending westwards for nearly a quarter of an
hour, entirely covered with similar remains. On the right bank, where
the ground is more elevated, ruins of the same description are also
seen. In the valley near the river, the buildings have probably been
swept away by the impetuosity of the winter torrent; but even here are
still seen the foundations of a temple, and a heap of broken columns;
close to which is a large Birket, or reservoir of water, still serving
for the supply of the inhabitants during the summer. The finest
sepulchres in Wady
[p.428] Mousa are in the eastern cliff, in front of this open space,
where I counted upwards of fifty close to each other. High up in the
cliff I particularly observed one large sepulchre, adorned with
Corinthian pilasters.
Farther to the west the valley is shut in by the rocks, which extend in
a northern direction; the river has worked a passage through them, and
runs underground, as I was told, for about a quarter of an hour. Near
the west end of Wady Mousa are the remains of a stately edifice, of
which part of the wall is still standing; the inhabitants call it Kaszr
Bent Faraoun (Arabic), or the palace of Pharaoh’s daughter. In my way I
had entered several sepulchres, to the surprise of my guide, but when he
saw me turn out of the footpath towards the Kaszr, he exclaimed: “I see
now clearly that you are an infidel, who have some particular business
amongst the ruins of the city of your forefathers; but depend upon it
that we shall not suffer you to take out a single para of all the
treasures hidden therein, for they are in our territory, and belong to
us.” I replied that it was mere curiosity, which prompted me to look at
the ancient works, and that I had no other view in coming here, than to
sacrifice to Haroun; but he was not easily persuaded, and I did not
think it prudent to irritate him by too close an inspection of the
palace, as it might have led him to declare, on our return, his belief
that I had found treasures, which might have led to a search of my
person and to the detection of my journal, which would most certainly
have been taken from me, as a book of magic. It is very unfortunate for
European travellers that the idea of treasures being hidden in ancient
edifices is so strongly rooted in the minds of the Arabs and Turks; nor
are they satisfied with watching all the stranger’s steps; they believe
that it is sufficient for a true magician to have seen and observed the
spot where treasures are hidden (of which he is supposed to be already
informed by the
[p.429] old books of the infidels who lived on the spot) in order to be
able afterwards, at his ease, to command the guardian of the treasure to
set the whole before him. It was of no avail to tell them to follow me
and see whether I searched for money. Their reply was, “of course you
will not dare to take it out before us, but we know that if you are a
skilful magician you will order it to follow you through the air to
whatever place you please.” If the traveller takes the dimensions of a
building or a column, they are persuaded that it is a magical
proceeding. Even the most liberal minded Turks of Syria reason in the
same manner, and the more travellers they see, the stronger is their
conviction that their object is to search for treasures, “Maou delayl”
(Arabic), “he has indications of treasure with him,” is an expression I
have heard a hundred times.
On the rising ground to the left of the rivulet, just opposite to the
Kaszr Bent Faraoun, are the ruins of a temple, with one column yet
standing to which the Arabs have given the name of Zob Faraoun (Arabic),
i.e. hasta virilis Pharaonis; it is about thirty feet high and composed
of more than a dozen pieces.
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