DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36287#0037
i5
PALMYRA AND THE REGION OF THE HAURAN
T he Djebcl Barisha is full of interesting ruins and our feeling of bewilderment as we
came upon one after another when we first rode into the mountain was only overcome
hy constant hard work during the days in which we explored the district from our tem-
porary headquarters. It was difficult to work out a general plan thoroughly to ex-
amine, without waste of time, all the ruins within easy reach of Bashmishli. Some of
the towns are not only extensive, but they contain many inscriptions and many beau-
tiful bits of carving around arches, doorwavs, and windows and on cornices.
View of Bamukka, looking over il-'Amk. In the background are the Amanus Mountains.
On November 3d we went to a large rock-hewn tomb near Bashmishli, and then to
Hamukka. Here we were especially attracted by a two-story private house which was
in marvelous condition. Hardly a stone of the walls is misplaced, and only the wooden
roof and second-story door are gone. The holes for the beams of the roof and of this
door are still to be seen. In the second story are a number of niches, which were
c\ ldcntly used as receptacles for clothing and other effects. A few mulberry trees
are growing in front of the house and make the scene very picturesque.
A ride of dfteen minutes more brought us to Bashakuh, a town whose buildings
seemed gigantic late in the afternoon of the day before, when we were on the way to
Bashmishli. As we approached in the morning the walls seemed to shrink a little, but
the buildings are splendidly preserved, and on a number of the architraves are beauti-
ful bits of carving. Two Greek inscriptions were found but one was badly weathered.
The party separated there temporarily, one member returning to Bashmishli and
then going to the highest point of the mountain, called the Kubbit Babutta, for the
purpose of obtaining observations of the surrounding country through which to locate
PALMYRA AND THE REGION OF THE HAURAN
T he Djebcl Barisha is full of interesting ruins and our feeling of bewilderment as we
came upon one after another when we first rode into the mountain was only overcome
hy constant hard work during the days in which we explored the district from our tem-
porary headquarters. It was difficult to work out a general plan thoroughly to ex-
amine, without waste of time, all the ruins within easy reach of Bashmishli. Some of
the towns are not only extensive, but they contain many inscriptions and many beau-
tiful bits of carving around arches, doorwavs, and windows and on cornices.
View of Bamukka, looking over il-'Amk. In the background are the Amanus Mountains.
On November 3d we went to a large rock-hewn tomb near Bashmishli, and then to
Hamukka. Here we were especially attracted by a two-story private house which was
in marvelous condition. Hardly a stone of the walls is misplaced, and only the wooden
roof and second-story door are gone. The holes for the beams of the roof and of this
door are still to be seen. In the second story are a number of niches, which were
c\ ldcntly used as receptacles for clothing and other effects. A few mulberry trees
are growing in front of the house and make the scene very picturesque.
A ride of dfteen minutes more brought us to Bashakuh, a town whose buildings
seemed gigantic late in the afternoon of the day before, when we were on the way to
Bashmishli. As we approached in the morning the walls seemed to shrink a little, but
the buildings are splendidly preserved, and on a number of the architraves are beauti-
ful bits of carving. Two Greek inscriptions were found but one was badly weathered.
The party separated there temporarily, one member returning to Bashmishli and
then going to the highest point of the mountain, called the Kubbit Babutta, for the
purpose of obtaining observations of the surrounding country through which to locate