DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5541#0497
464
THE ACROPOLIS.
[Chap. xxvr.
ascended to the summit of the Castle rock, by a steep and
difficult path loading up the narrow crevice of its almost
perpendicular sides, which were Avell defended by walls and
numerous towers. The rock itself consists of red trachyte,
containing large crystals of glassy felspar. On the almost
pointed summit were the ruins of a castle with battlements
and embrasures, but nothing to denote the existence of an
ancient Acropolis. Near the lower entrance however was a
colossal headless statue lying on the ground, with much dra-
pery, and apparently female, and a little higher up the
mutilated figure of a lion. The view from the summit was
most extensive ; the two large and three smaller trachytic
hills to the north of the town, running in an irregular lino
from S.W. to N.E., appeared to be the continuation of a
ridge of hills to the west extending in the same direction,
and also trachytic.
I afterwards spent some time in the different burial-
grounds in search of inscriptions, but, although there were
several, besides fragments of architectural sculpture, cor-
nices, columns, &c, and another statue in the Armenian
burial-ground, I could find none which gave the least in-
formation as to the name of any ancient city in the neigh-
bourhood. The inscriptions were chiefly sepulchral,* and
the tombstones much in the same style as those which I
had seen at Pessinus and other places in that district.
The troops which were now quartered in the town be-
longed to the Rediff, a kind of national guard lately esta-
blished throughout Asia Minor, and said to consist of nearly
200,000 men: they only serve in their own provinces, and
during a limited period of the year; a fourth of the whole
number being generally called out every three months.
Some large barracks were now being built for them outside
the town. I have omitted to mention that, when on the
summit of the Castle rock, I found my compass completely
put out by some strong local attraction, and I remarked
that when I placed it on the rock its variation was several
* See Appendix, Nos. 165—169.
THE ACROPOLIS.
[Chap. xxvr.
ascended to the summit of the Castle rock, by a steep and
difficult path loading up the narrow crevice of its almost
perpendicular sides, which were Avell defended by walls and
numerous towers. The rock itself consists of red trachyte,
containing large crystals of glassy felspar. On the almost
pointed summit were the ruins of a castle with battlements
and embrasures, but nothing to denote the existence of an
ancient Acropolis. Near the lower entrance however was a
colossal headless statue lying on the ground, with much dra-
pery, and apparently female, and a little higher up the
mutilated figure of a lion. The view from the summit was
most extensive ; the two large and three smaller trachytic
hills to the north of the town, running in an irregular lino
from S.W. to N.E., appeared to be the continuation of a
ridge of hills to the west extending in the same direction,
and also trachytic.
I afterwards spent some time in the different burial-
grounds in search of inscriptions, but, although there were
several, besides fragments of architectural sculpture, cor-
nices, columns, &c, and another statue in the Armenian
burial-ground, I could find none which gave the least in-
formation as to the name of any ancient city in the neigh-
bourhood. The inscriptions were chiefly sepulchral,* and
the tombstones much in the same style as those which I
had seen at Pessinus and other places in that district.
The troops which were now quartered in the town be-
longed to the Rediff, a kind of national guard lately esta-
blished throughout Asia Minor, and said to consist of nearly
200,000 men: they only serve in their own provinces, and
during a limited period of the year; a fourth of the whole
number being generally called out every three months.
Some large barracks were now being built for them outside
the town. I have omitted to mention that, when on the
summit of the Castle rock, I found my compass completely
put out by some strong local attraction, and I remarked
that when I placed it on the rock its variation was several
* See Appendix, Nos. 165—169.