DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5542#0098
88
REACH ABULTJONTE.
[Chap, xxxvi.
pletely across the narrow neck : although strong, this wall
is very rudely built, and appears to have "been cased with
blocks of marble derived from the ruins of the ancient
town: many of them have been seats of the theatre, the
site of which has been hollowed out of the solid rock near
the end of the peninsula. From thence we proceeded along
the western side of the promontory, between the lake and
the burial-ground, with many foundations of ancient build-
ings on both sides of the road.
The island, on which is the town of Abullionte, is con-
nected with the main land by a wooden bridge of simple
and slight construction, carried in a winding direction, in
order that it may not interfere with the wide-spreading
branches of a plane-tree growing close to the water's edge.
After passing through some narrow streets we reached the
konak prepared in a house called the Metropol, a rambling-
building belonging to the Greek church, where I was soon
visited by a couple of dirty-looking Greek papades or
priests. The town completely covers the island to the
water's edge all round, and is defended near the bridge by
a wall and ruined castle, apparently Byzantine, chiefly con-
structed with large blocks of marble derived from more
ancient buildings. It is said to consist of 200 Greek and 100
Turkish houses.
Under the guidance of an old chavasse, I went forth in
search of antiquities and inscriptions ; but I only found one*
of the latter, on several successive blocks of marble, which
must have formed the entablature or architrave of an ancient
edifice : they were regularly inserted in the wall of one of
the towers of the more modern fortifications near the bridge.
I then got a boat for the purpose of rowing round the town :
it was of most singular build and proportions, being very
broad and flat-bottomed, and covered both inside and out
with such a coating of pitch, that under a warm sun it
was scarcely possible to move from one spot to another.
We were twenty-five minutes performing the whole cir-
■> See Appendix, No. 304.
REACH ABULTJONTE.
[Chap, xxxvi.
pletely across the narrow neck : although strong, this wall
is very rudely built, and appears to have "been cased with
blocks of marble derived from the ruins of the ancient
town: many of them have been seats of the theatre, the
site of which has been hollowed out of the solid rock near
the end of the peninsula. From thence we proceeded along
the western side of the promontory, between the lake and
the burial-ground, with many foundations of ancient build-
ings on both sides of the road.
The island, on which is the town of Abullionte, is con-
nected with the main land by a wooden bridge of simple
and slight construction, carried in a winding direction, in
order that it may not interfere with the wide-spreading
branches of a plane-tree growing close to the water's edge.
After passing through some narrow streets we reached the
konak prepared in a house called the Metropol, a rambling-
building belonging to the Greek church, where I was soon
visited by a couple of dirty-looking Greek papades or
priests. The town completely covers the island to the
water's edge all round, and is defended near the bridge by
a wall and ruined castle, apparently Byzantine, chiefly con-
structed with large blocks of marble derived from more
ancient buildings. It is said to consist of 200 Greek and 100
Turkish houses.
Under the guidance of an old chavasse, I went forth in
search of antiquities and inscriptions ; but I only found one*
of the latter, on several successive blocks of marble, which
must have formed the entablature or architrave of an ancient
edifice : they were regularly inserted in the wall of one of
the towers of the more modern fortifications near the bridge.
I then got a boat for the purpose of rowing round the town :
it was of most singular build and proportions, being very
broad and flat-bottomed, and covered both inside and out
with such a coating of pitch, that under a warm sun it
was scarcely possible to move from one spot to another.
We were twenty-five minutes performing the whole cir-
■> See Appendix, No. 304.