DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4703#0018
*7
XPLANATION of the PLATES.
P L A T E I.
Plan of the city of Balbec, mewing only the fituation of the ancient
buildings which remain,
N. B. This plate may be ufed as an index to the contents of the work;
the principal objects of which are, the great temple with it's courts, the moft
entire temple, and the circular temple. Views of thofe ruins, in the con-
dition we found them, are intermixed with the reprefentations of the fame
buildings, in their fuppofed entire ftate j that it may appear upon what autho-
rity fome parts are reftored.
N. B. The meafures we make ufe of are Englifh feet and inches.
A. Portico, which formed the grand front to the build-
ings A. B. C. D. It is described in plates III, IV,
V, VI, VII, VIII, and XL
B. Hexagonal court, to which the portico A leads, is
defcribed in plates III, IX, X, XI, and XX.
C. Quadrangular court, to which the court B leads, is
defcribed in plates III, and from XII to XX in-
clufive.
D. Great temple, to which the approach was through
the foregoing portico and courts, is defcribed in
plates III, XXI, and XXII.
E. The moft entire temple, which fee defcribed from
plate XXIII to plate XLI inclufive.
F. The circular temple. See plates XLII, XLIII,
XLIV, XLV.
G. A Dorick column, whofe fhaft confifts of feveral
pieces, ftanding fingle on the elevated fouth-weft
part of the city, where the walls inclofe a little
of the foot of Antilibanus. We difcovered no-
thing, either in the fize, proportions, or work-
manfhip of this column, fo remarkable as a little
bafon on the top of it's capital, which communi-
cates with a femicircular channel, cut longitudinally
down the fide of the fhaft, and five or fix inches
deep. We were told that water had been for-
merly conveyed from the bafon by this chan-
nel ; but how the bafon was fupplied we could not
learn : as it greatly disfigures the fhaft of the co-
lumn, we fufpedt it to be a modern contrivance.
The fmall part of the city, which is at prefent in-
habited, is near the circular temple, and to the
fouth and fouth-weft of it. We did not think the
Turkifh buildings worth a place in this plan; but
the reader may fee a view of them in the follow-
ing plate. A great deal of the fpace within the
walls is entirely negle&ed, while a fmall part is
employed in gardens; a name which the Turks
give to any fpot near a town where there is a little
made and water.
H. The city walls, which, like thofe of moft of the
ancient cities of Afia, appear to be the confufed
patch-work of different ages. The pieces of ca-
pitals, broken entablatures, and, in fome places,
reverfed Greek infcriptions, which we obferved in
walking round them, convinced us that their laft
repairs were made after the decline of tafte, with
materials negligently collected as they lay nearefi:
to hand, and as haftily put together for immediate
defence.
I. The city gates: they correfpond in general with
what we have faid of the walls; but that which
is on the north fide prefents the ruins of a large
fubaffement, with pedeftals and bafes for four co-
lumns, in a tafte of magnificence and antiquity
much fuperiour to that of the other gates.
The ground immediately about the walls is rocky, and
little advantage is taken of a command of water,
which might be much more ufefully employed than
it is at prefent in the gardens. Some confufed heaps
of rubbifh, which appear to have belonged to an-
cient buildings, both within and without the walls,
are too imperfect to deferve notice.
P L A T E II.
View of the city of Balbec from the fouth, fhewing it's antiquities and
Turkiih buildings,
N. B. In this perfpe£tive view the fame letters mark the fame buildings,
of which they marked the plan in the foregoing plate.
i A. Turkifli
XPLANATION of the PLATES.
P L A T E I.
Plan of the city of Balbec, mewing only the fituation of the ancient
buildings which remain,
N. B. This plate may be ufed as an index to the contents of the work;
the principal objects of which are, the great temple with it's courts, the moft
entire temple, and the circular temple. Views of thofe ruins, in the con-
dition we found them, are intermixed with the reprefentations of the fame
buildings, in their fuppofed entire ftate j that it may appear upon what autho-
rity fome parts are reftored.
N. B. The meafures we make ufe of are Englifh feet and inches.
A. Portico, which formed the grand front to the build-
ings A. B. C. D. It is described in plates III, IV,
V, VI, VII, VIII, and XL
B. Hexagonal court, to which the portico A leads, is
defcribed in plates III, IX, X, XI, and XX.
C. Quadrangular court, to which the court B leads, is
defcribed in plates III, and from XII to XX in-
clufive.
D. Great temple, to which the approach was through
the foregoing portico and courts, is defcribed in
plates III, XXI, and XXII.
E. The moft entire temple, which fee defcribed from
plate XXIII to plate XLI inclufive.
F. The circular temple. See plates XLII, XLIII,
XLIV, XLV.
G. A Dorick column, whofe fhaft confifts of feveral
pieces, ftanding fingle on the elevated fouth-weft
part of the city, where the walls inclofe a little
of the foot of Antilibanus. We difcovered no-
thing, either in the fize, proportions, or work-
manfhip of this column, fo remarkable as a little
bafon on the top of it's capital, which communi-
cates with a femicircular channel, cut longitudinally
down the fide of the fhaft, and five or fix inches
deep. We were told that water had been for-
merly conveyed from the bafon by this chan-
nel ; but how the bafon was fupplied we could not
learn : as it greatly disfigures the fhaft of the co-
lumn, we fufpedt it to be a modern contrivance.
The fmall part of the city, which is at prefent in-
habited, is near the circular temple, and to the
fouth and fouth-weft of it. We did not think the
Turkifh buildings worth a place in this plan; but
the reader may fee a view of them in the follow-
ing plate. A great deal of the fpace within the
walls is entirely negle&ed, while a fmall part is
employed in gardens; a name which the Turks
give to any fpot near a town where there is a little
made and water.
H. The city walls, which, like thofe of moft of the
ancient cities of Afia, appear to be the confufed
patch-work of different ages. The pieces of ca-
pitals, broken entablatures, and, in fome places,
reverfed Greek infcriptions, which we obferved in
walking round them, convinced us that their laft
repairs were made after the decline of tafte, with
materials negligently collected as they lay nearefi:
to hand, and as haftily put together for immediate
defence.
I. The city gates: they correfpond in general with
what we have faid of the walls; but that which
is on the north fide prefents the ruins of a large
fubaffement, with pedeftals and bafes for four co-
lumns, in a tafte of magnificence and antiquity
much fuperiour to that of the other gates.
The ground immediately about the walls is rocky, and
little advantage is taken of a command of water,
which might be much more ufefully employed than
it is at prefent in the gardens. Some confufed heaps
of rubbifh, which appear to have belonged to an-
cient buildings, both within and without the walls,
are too imperfect to deferve notice.
P L A T E II.
View of the city of Balbec from the fouth, fhewing it's antiquities and
Turkiih buildings,
N. B. In this perfpe£tive view the fame letters mark the fame buildings,
of which they marked the plan in the foregoing plate.
i A. Turkifli