DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5542#0386
Chap, i.ii.]
HUINS OF KEPEJIK.
371
bank of the river, the scenery increasing in beauty at every
step, the hills becoming more lofty, and their sides more
wooded. In half an hour we quitted the valley and ascend-
ed to the west; here we perceived the Meander to the
S.W. escaping through a deep and narrow gorge between
almost perpendicular wooded banks, so near each other
that the opening was scarcely visible. At length, after
winding up several ravines, some of which were well
wooded, and where occasionally a spring or scanty stream
had tempted the wandering Euruque to pitch his tent, we
again reached the summit of the table-land.
About half-past three, while crossing this flat country
my attention was arrested by several square blocks of
stone in the fields on the right; and on proceeding to
examine them I found myself on the site of an ancient
city. The ground and walls between the enclosures con-
tained many similar blocks, some of which were still in situ,
others were pedestals, but without inscriptions, while broken
pottery and tiles lay scattered about in all directions.
The most remarkable feature was what may be called
a street of tombs, extending in a N. by E. direction from
the town. All of them had been much injured, but the
foundations of many were still perfect. The whole area
of the city had been ploughed over, but the remains of
walls of houses and other buildings were everywhere visi-
ble, in one of which, of undoubted Hellenic construction, two
or three courses of stones could be traced for some dis-
tance. A little to the S.W. of the tombs were the founda-
tions of a small building, with several broken columns five
or six feet high still in situ ; but these as well as the other
remains were quite plain, and consisted of the common
limestone of the country; no traces exist of the town
having been surrounded by walls or otherwise fortified.
The ruins extended on both sides of the road, and were m
places much overgrown with vegetation. I can form no
idea as to the name which should be given to them ; the
Turks call them Kepeiik; there are, however, so many
2 b 2
HUINS OF KEPEJIK.
371
bank of the river, the scenery increasing in beauty at every
step, the hills becoming more lofty, and their sides more
wooded. In half an hour we quitted the valley and ascend-
ed to the west; here we perceived the Meander to the
S.W. escaping through a deep and narrow gorge between
almost perpendicular wooded banks, so near each other
that the opening was scarcely visible. At length, after
winding up several ravines, some of which were well
wooded, and where occasionally a spring or scanty stream
had tempted the wandering Euruque to pitch his tent, we
again reached the summit of the table-land.
About half-past three, while crossing this flat country
my attention was arrested by several square blocks of
stone in the fields on the right; and on proceeding to
examine them I found myself on the site of an ancient
city. The ground and walls between the enclosures con-
tained many similar blocks, some of which were still in situ,
others were pedestals, but without inscriptions, while broken
pottery and tiles lay scattered about in all directions.
The most remarkable feature was what may be called
a street of tombs, extending in a N. by E. direction from
the town. All of them had been much injured, but the
foundations of many were still perfect. The whole area
of the city had been ploughed over, but the remains of
walls of houses and other buildings were everywhere visi-
ble, in one of which, of undoubted Hellenic construction, two
or three courses of stones could be traced for some dis-
tance. A little to the S.W. of the tombs were the founda-
tions of a small building, with several broken columns five
or six feet high still in situ ; but these as well as the other
remains were quite plain, and consisted of the common
limestone of the country; no traces exist of the town
having been surrounded by walls or otherwise fortified.
The ruins extended on both sides of the road, and were m
places much overgrown with vegetation. I can form no
idea as to the name which should be given to them ; the
Turks call them Kepeiik; there are, however, so many
2 b 2