Kanneytra Is Now In Ruins, Having Been Deserted By Its Inhabitants Since
The Period Of The Passage Of The Visier’S Troops Into Egypt.
It is
enclosed by a strong wall, which contains within its circuit a good
Khan, a fine mosque with several short columns of gray granite, and a
copious spring; there are other springs also near it.
On the north side
of the village are the remains of a small ancient city, perhaps Canatha;
these ruins consist of little more than the foundations of habitations.
The caravans coming from Akka generally halt for the night at Kanneytra.
We reposed here a few hours, and then continued our journey, over ground
RESERVOIRS
[p.314] which still continues to rise, until we reached the chain of
hills, which form the most conspicuous part of the mountain Heish. The
ground being here considerably elevated above the plain of Damascus and
the Djolan, these hills, when seen from afar, appear like mountains,
although, when viewed from their foot, they are of very moderate height.
They are insulated, and terminate, as I have already mentioned, at the
hill called Tel Faras, towards the plain of Djolan. The Bedouins who
pasture their cattle in these mountains retire in the hot season towards
the Djebel el Sheikh. The governor of the Heish el Kanneytra, who
receives his charge every year from the Pasha, used formerly to reside
at Kanneytra; but since that place has been deserted, he usually encamps
with the Turkmans of the Heish, and goes from one encampment to another,
to collect the Miri from these Arabs.
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