DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4569#0053
THE PLAN OF PALMYRA.
f ably not have wanted fuch a convenience ; and in more than one place we faw
the Palmyrene characters on it, too much decayed to copy, but could find no
infcription in any other language.
About three or four miles to the fouth-eaft of the ruins, in the Defart, is the
"Valley of Salt, (fuppofed to be the place where David fmote the Syrians
a Sam. viii. 13.) which now fupplies, in a great meafure, Darnaicus and
the neighbouring towns, with that commodity. We went to fee it, and
found they had hollowed the ground in feveral places deep enough to receive
a foot, or more of the rain-water, which, when once lodged, covers the part
(b hollowed with a fine white fait. Where-ever we could thruft the Arabs pikes
into the ground, we found it was impregnated with fait to a confiderable depth.
For other particulars in this plan we refer to the following explication.
Nothing lefs entire than a column (tending, with at Leaft its capital, is mark-
ed. Almofl the whole ground within the walls is covered with heaps of
marble; but to have diiringuiflied fuch imperfect ruins would have intro-
duced confufion to nopurpojfe.
4*
1. Temple of the fun.
2. Its court, with the huts of the Arabs.
3. Its portico.
.4. A Turkifh mofque.
5. An arch.
6. Four granite columns.
7. Peryftile of a ruined temple.
8. Columns difpofed in the form of a circus.
9. Cell of a temple.
10. Four pedeftals.
.Hi. Row of columns which ftand alone.
12. The cell of a temple and part of its peryftile.
13. Seems to have been the peryftile of a temple.
14. 15, 16, 17. Have been all diftinct buildings, but are
fo much ruined, that we could not even guefs at their
plan.
Dioclefian's building.
Ruins of a Turkifh fortification.
Sepulchral monuments.
18.
19.
-ZO. 2 1, 2
23-
24.
25-
26.
2.J.
Sepulchres of many ftories, all without the city walls
Probably a ruined temple.
Ruins of a chriftian church.
Four columns.
Little temple.
28. Great Column ftanding alone.
29. Cultivated oround.
30. Great column, from which the infcription number
XXI was copied.
31. Great column.
32. Altar, from-which the Greek infcription, number VI,
was copied.
33. The fountain Ephca.
34. Turkifh caftle.
35. Ground raifed by ruins, between which and the wall
has been a ditch now almoft filled up.
36. Confufed ruins, near the fountain.
37. A ruined building, near the ftream (44).
38. Sepulchral monuments, reduced to meer rubbifh.
39. A water-mill, where the Arabs grind their corn.
40. Arab burying-ground.
41. Our road to Palmyra, through the vale of the fepul-
chres.
42. IndiftincT: ruins of large buildings, near the temple of
the fun.
43. Remains of Juftinian's wall.
44. The largeft ftream.
45. The leffer, which runs through the ruins, and joins
the firftto the eaftof the temple of the fun.
f ably not have wanted fuch a convenience ; and in more than one place we faw
the Palmyrene characters on it, too much decayed to copy, but could find no
infcription in any other language.
About three or four miles to the fouth-eaft of the ruins, in the Defart, is the
"Valley of Salt, (fuppofed to be the place where David fmote the Syrians
a Sam. viii. 13.) which now fupplies, in a great meafure, Darnaicus and
the neighbouring towns, with that commodity. We went to fee it, and
found they had hollowed the ground in feveral places deep enough to receive
a foot, or more of the rain-water, which, when once lodged, covers the part
(b hollowed with a fine white fait. Where-ever we could thruft the Arabs pikes
into the ground, we found it was impregnated with fait to a confiderable depth.
For other particulars in this plan we refer to the following explication.
Nothing lefs entire than a column (tending, with at Leaft its capital, is mark-
ed. Almofl the whole ground within the walls is covered with heaps of
marble; but to have diiringuiflied fuch imperfect ruins would have intro-
duced confufion to nopurpojfe.
4*
1. Temple of the fun.
2. Its court, with the huts of the Arabs.
3. Its portico.
.4. A Turkifh mofque.
5. An arch.
6. Four granite columns.
7. Peryftile of a ruined temple.
8. Columns difpofed in the form of a circus.
9. Cell of a temple.
10. Four pedeftals.
.Hi. Row of columns which ftand alone.
12. The cell of a temple and part of its peryftile.
13. Seems to have been the peryftile of a temple.
14. 15, 16, 17. Have been all diftinct buildings, but are
fo much ruined, that we could not even guefs at their
plan.
Dioclefian's building.
Ruins of a Turkifh fortification.
Sepulchral monuments.
18.
19.
-ZO. 2 1, 2
23-
24.
25-
26.
2.J.
Sepulchres of many ftories, all without the city walls
Probably a ruined temple.
Ruins of a chriftian church.
Four columns.
Little temple.
28. Great Column ftanding alone.
29. Cultivated oround.
30. Great column, from which the infcription number
XXI was copied.
31. Great column.
32. Altar, from-which the Greek infcription, number VI,
was copied.
33. The fountain Ephca.
34. Turkifh caftle.
35. Ground raifed by ruins, between which and the wall
has been a ditch now almoft filled up.
36. Confufed ruins, near the fountain.
37. A ruined building, near the ftream (44).
38. Sepulchral monuments, reduced to meer rubbifh.
39. A water-mill, where the Arabs grind their corn.
40. Arab burying-ground.
41. Our road to Palmyra, through the vale of the fepul-
chres.
42. IndiftincT: ruins of large buildings, near the temple of
the fun.
43. Remains of Juftinian's wall.
44. The largeft ftream.
45. The leffer, which runs through the ruins, and joins
the firftto the eaftof the temple of the fun.