DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0436
Chap, xxiii.]
DE1RMEN kieui.
403
square; a mixture of stone, brick, and rubble. On the
cast side is a handsome marble entrance in Saraceno-
Gothic style, while within it is built in the form of a Greek
cross, having one of the four recesses facing the east. At
the north end under the trees was a beautiful fountain of
clear cold water in a deep marble basin, in which were
many fish, apparently a species of carp. The Turks of
Alajah said that the building was an old Greek monastery
belonging to Kara Hissar, which is not many miles from
Alajah. In the outer walls I found an imperfect inscription,*
below which was a cross nearly obliterated.
On reaching De'irmen, we entered the narrow ravine in
which the village is situated, led on by the hope of find-
ing inscriptions, bas-reliefs, and ruins; until, after ascend-
ing the valley by a difficult path, I was shown a small
tomb or chapel excavated in the rock, but of no interest;
thence ascending the steep hills to the west, we reached an
ancient tumulus, called by the Turks Sangiac Tepe, or hill
of the Standard, a name frequently given by them to
these artificial mounds. Along the crest of the hill, and
particularly near the tumulus, were the remains of old
Walls, or at least long lines of stones heaped together
and crossing each other at various angles; they were
but slightly raised above the ground, and whether an-
cient or modern I could not venture to decide. Being
satisfied that nothing interesting was to be found here, I
returned to Alajah, where in the burial-ground I found
many stones which had evidently been brought from a
Christian building or cemetery, some still having crosses
upon them, and others obliterated inscriptions, besides large
blocks of marble without any particular marks.
Saturday, August 27.—From Alajah, which we left at a
quarter after seven a.m., we ascended the plain of Hussein
Ova for seven or eight miles, with a low range of sand-hills
on our right. Soon after eight we passed the small village
of Eski-Yate or Tepe Kieui, built on a low rising mound in
* See Appendix, No; 9.'.
2 d 2
DE1RMEN kieui.
403
square; a mixture of stone, brick, and rubble. On the
cast side is a handsome marble entrance in Saraceno-
Gothic style, while within it is built in the form of a Greek
cross, having one of the four recesses facing the east. At
the north end under the trees was a beautiful fountain of
clear cold water in a deep marble basin, in which were
many fish, apparently a species of carp. The Turks of
Alajah said that the building was an old Greek monastery
belonging to Kara Hissar, which is not many miles from
Alajah. In the outer walls I found an imperfect inscription,*
below which was a cross nearly obliterated.
On reaching De'irmen, we entered the narrow ravine in
which the village is situated, led on by the hope of find-
ing inscriptions, bas-reliefs, and ruins; until, after ascend-
ing the valley by a difficult path, I was shown a small
tomb or chapel excavated in the rock, but of no interest;
thence ascending the steep hills to the west, we reached an
ancient tumulus, called by the Turks Sangiac Tepe, or hill
of the Standard, a name frequently given by them to
these artificial mounds. Along the crest of the hill, and
particularly near the tumulus, were the remains of old
Walls, or at least long lines of stones heaped together
and crossing each other at various angles; they were
but slightly raised above the ground, and whether an-
cient or modern I could not venture to decide. Being
satisfied that nothing interesting was to be found here, I
returned to Alajah, where in the burial-ground I found
many stones which had evidently been brought from a
Christian building or cemetery, some still having crosses
upon them, and others obliterated inscriptions, besides large
blocks of marble without any particular marks.
Saturday, August 27.—From Alajah, which we left at a
quarter after seven a.m., we ascended the plain of Hussein
Ova for seven or eight miles, with a low range of sand-hills
on our right. Soon after eight we passed the small village
of Eski-Yate or Tepe Kieui, built on a low rising mound in
* See Appendix, No; 9.'.
2 d 2