At the end of two hours we reached Aatyl
[Arabic], a small Druse village in the midst of the wood. Here are the
remains of two handsome temples; that which is on the N. side, is in
complete ruins; it consisted of a square building, with a high arch
across its roof; two niches were on each side of the gate, and in front
of it a portico of columns, the number of which it is impossible to
determine, the ground being covered by a heap of fragments of columns,
architraves, and large square stones. This temple is called El Kaszr.
From a small stone in its precincts I copied the following letters:
[Greek].
On the outside wall of the temple is the following inscription in
remarkably fine characters.
[Greek].
On the S.E. side of Aatyl stands the other temple, which is of small
dimensions but of elegant construction. It has a portico of two
[p.223]columns and two pilasters, each of which has a projecting base
for a statue, elevated from the ground about one-third of the height of
the column, like the pillars of the great colonnade at Palmyra. The
columns are Corinthian, but not of the best time of that order. The
interior of the temple consists of an apartment with several arches
without any ornaments; but the gate is covered with sculpture. The two
pilasters forming the portico have inscriptions on their bases. On the
one is this:
[Greek].
Near the other pilaster is an inscription upon two broken stones, lying
near each other; these stones appear to have been formerly joined, and
to have formed part of the base of the pilaster, and the inscription
seems to have been a copy of the former. Upon the one I read:
[Greek].
and upon the other:
[Greek]
[p.224] [Greek].
Near the temple I saw a bas-relief about ten inches square, representing
a female bust, with hair in ringlets, falling upon the shoulders; it was
lying on the ground; but it was not of such workmanship as to tempt me
to take it with me. Upon the wall of one of the largest houses in the
village was a long inscription; but too high for me to read.
N.E. of Aatyl, about one hour, up in the mountain, is a ruined tower
called Berdj Mabroum [Arabic].
The tobacco of Aatyl is preferred to that of any other part of the
Haouran. I here saw a public woman, a Kahirene, who seemed to be kept at
the expense of the whole village; I was surprised at this, for manners
in the Haouran are generally almost as pure as among the Bedouins:
public women are not suffered, and adultery is punished by the death of
the woman, while the man is ruined by the heavy penalties exacted by the
government in expiation of his guilt.
![Travels In Syria And The Holy Land By John Lewis Burckhardt
- One hour and a half, in the wood, we passed the Wady Dyab
[Arabic], coming from the mountain. One hour - Page 150](../images/travel.jpg)
