DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36287#0038
TOPOGRAPHY OF NORTHERN CENTRAL SYRIA.
16
the ruins and the villages. From this point a splendid view may be had, especially
toward the northeast over the plain of Sermeda. Beyond this are the Djebel Shekh
Berekat and the Djebel Sim'an. There are several villages in the plain, and the rich
red soil supports a good population. Far away to the east the city of Aleppo could
be dimly seen. In the foothills of the Djebel Barisha many more ruins were discov-
ered, and we began to fear that we would not have the time necessary to visit all of
them. The rest of the party spent most of the afternoon in the ruins of Silfaya on the
northern slope of the Djebel Barisha, not far from Bamukka. During the day, while
we were wandering about, we put to flight a few beautiful birds, apparently a species
of partridgeT In those mountains they are quite common but we found them very
timid. Their plumage is brilliant. The bill and legs are red. The local name for
them, I believe, is In the evening the party came together again in Bashmishli.
A number of native women and girls passed the camp at dusk on their way back from
the olive gathering at Dehes. Some carried baskets full of the fruit on their heads, and
others had small children riding on their shoulders.
The following day an attack was made upon the work in the foothills of the Djebel
Barisha, north of Bashmishli. The only path to the ruins in this region goes near the
Kubbit Babutta and past two ruins on the hillside called Burdj Bakirha and Bakirha.
The former is a beautiful pagan temple of the year 161 A.D. The doorway of the
temple inclosure bears a Greek inscription. Bakirha is an important place and con-
tains two large churches. In a little more than half an hour after leaving Bakirha we
reached Khirbit il-Khatib, another extensive ruin. Khirbit Tezin was our next stop-
ping-place. Here there are a number of buildings, including a church with an elab-
orately carved portal. A hurried visit was paid by one member of the party to Kasr
Iblisu, west of Khirbit Tezin.
While we were working at this place, a Bedawin family passed by, driving a few
donkeys with all their worldly possessions tied on the saddles. One young fellow's
task was to drive before him a little hen with her newly hatched brood. The Beda-
win had reached the end of the day's journey and they halted not far away. As we
started to return to our camp the dark-skinned patriarch was sitting cross-legged
on a large stone that had fallen from one of the ancient buildings on the hillside.
He was peacefully watching the setting sun and the fading colors of the landscape
while the women pitched the rough brown goat-hair tents and arranged their house-
hold goods in them. The darkness was growing, and as we hurried along we made
out in outline near the path the ruined walls of Dar Kita. We soon reached the steep
hill at a point below Bakirha, and then began the hardest ride of the trip. It was
a constant source of wonder to us that the little horses did not fall over the great rocks
i Baedeker, LIII.
16
the ruins and the villages. From this point a splendid view may be had, especially
toward the northeast over the plain of Sermeda. Beyond this are the Djebel Shekh
Berekat and the Djebel Sim'an. There are several villages in the plain, and the rich
red soil supports a good population. Far away to the east the city of Aleppo could
be dimly seen. In the foothills of the Djebel Barisha many more ruins were discov-
ered, and we began to fear that we would not have the time necessary to visit all of
them. The rest of the party spent most of the afternoon in the ruins of Silfaya on the
northern slope of the Djebel Barisha, not far from Bamukka. During the day, while
we were wandering about, we put to flight a few beautiful birds, apparently a species
of partridgeT In those mountains they are quite common but we found them very
timid. Their plumage is brilliant. The bill and legs are red. The local name for
them, I believe, is In the evening the party came together again in Bashmishli.
A number of native women and girls passed the camp at dusk on their way back from
the olive gathering at Dehes. Some carried baskets full of the fruit on their heads, and
others had small children riding on their shoulders.
The following day an attack was made upon the work in the foothills of the Djebel
Barisha, north of Bashmishli. The only path to the ruins in this region goes near the
Kubbit Babutta and past two ruins on the hillside called Burdj Bakirha and Bakirha.
The former is a beautiful pagan temple of the year 161 A.D. The doorway of the
temple inclosure bears a Greek inscription. Bakirha is an important place and con-
tains two large churches. In a little more than half an hour after leaving Bakirha we
reached Khirbit il-Khatib, another extensive ruin. Khirbit Tezin was our next stop-
ping-place. Here there are a number of buildings, including a church with an elab-
orately carved portal. A hurried visit was paid by one member of the party to Kasr
Iblisu, west of Khirbit Tezin.
While we were working at this place, a Bedawin family passed by, driving a few
donkeys with all their worldly possessions tied on the saddles. One young fellow's
task was to drive before him a little hen with her newly hatched brood. The Beda-
win had reached the end of the day's journey and they halted not far away. As we
started to return to our camp the dark-skinned patriarch was sitting cross-legged
on a large stone that had fallen from one of the ancient buildings on the hillside.
He was peacefully watching the setting sun and the fading colors of the landscape
while the women pitched the rough brown goat-hair tents and arranged their house-
hold goods in them. The darkness was growing, and as we hurried along we made
out in outline near the path the ruined walls of Dar Kita. We soon reached the steep
hill at a point below Bakirha, and then began the hardest ride of the trip. It was
a constant source of wonder to us that the little horses did not fall over the great rocks
i Baedeker, LIII.