I Counted Upwards Of Seventy On The Declivity Of
The Hill.
On the summit of the hill are heaps of wrought stones, but no
remains of any important building:
On its west and north sides are the
remains of two large theatres, built entirely of black stone. That on
the W. side is in better preservation than the other, although more
ruined than the theatres at Djerash. The walls and the greater part of
the seats yet remain; a tier of boxes intervenes between the rows of
seats, as at Djerash, and there are deep vaulted apartments beneath the
seats. There are no remains of columns in front of either theatre. The
theatre on the north side of the hill, which is in a very dilapidated
state, is remarkable for its great depth,
[p.272]caused by its being built on a part of the steepest declivity of
the hill; its uppermost row of seats is at least forty feet higher than
the lowest; the area below the seats is comparatively very small. From
these two theatres the principal part of the town appears to have
extended westwards, over an even piece of ground at the foot of the
hill; its length from the hill was at least half an hour. Nothing is at
present standing; but there are immense heaps of cut stones, columns,
&c. dispersed over the plain. A long street, running westward, of which
the ancient pavement still exists in most parts, seems to have been the
principal street of the town.
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