HIERAPOLIS.

Hierapolis, (now called by the Turks, Pambuck Kulasi, or the Cotton Tower, by reason of the white cliffs lying thereabouts) a city of the greater Phrygia, lies under a high hill to the north, having to the southward, of it, a fair and large plain about five miles over, almost directly opposite to Laodicea, the river Lycus running between, but nearer the latter; now utterly forsaken and desolate, but whose ruins are so glorious and magnificent, that they will strike one with horror at the first view of them, and with admiration too; such walls, and arches, and pillars of so vast a height, and so curiously wrought, being still to be found there, that one may well judge, that when it stood, it was one of the most glorious cities not only of the east, but of the world.

The numerousness of the temples there erected in time of idolatry with so much art and cost, might sufficiently confirm the title of the Holy City, which it had at first, derived from the holy waters flowing from several springs, to which they ascribed a divine healing virtue, and which made the city so famous: and for this cause Apollo, whom both Greeks and Romans adored as the god of Medicine, had his votaries and altars here, and was very probably their chiefest deity. In the theatre, which is of a large compass and height from the top, there being above forty stone seats, we found upon a curious piece of wrought marble belonging to a portal these words:

ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝΙ ΑΡΧΗΓ

To Apollo the Chief President,

a title peculiar to him. Where these springs arise is a very large bath curiously paved with white marble, about which formerly stood several pillars, now thrown into

it.

Hence the waters make their way through several channels which they have formed for themselves, often times overflowing then, and which crusting the ground thereabouts, which is a whitish sort of earth, turns the superficial part into a tophus. Several tombs still remain; some of them almost entire, very stately and glorious, as if it had been accounted a kind of sacrilege to injure the dead; and upon that account they had abstained from defacing the monuments; entire stones of a great lengthr

Ud

and height, some covered with stones shaped into the form of a cube, others ridge-wise.

On the 14th, in the morning, we set forward for CoLosse, where within an hour and a half we arrived.

COLOSSE.

Colosse, by the Turks called Chonos, is situated very high upon a hill, the plains under it very pleasant; but we were no sooner entered into it, but we thought fit to leave it, the inhabitants being a vile sort of people, so that we doubted of our safety among them. There still remain some poor Christians, notwithstanding those horrid abuses they are forced to endure, but without any church or priest: poor miserable Greeks, who amidst that ignorance and oppression they labour under, retain the profession of Christianity still, though they have forgot their own language, and speak only Turkish. Hastily quitting the town, not long after we met the Vaivode of Dingilsley, avery large and handsome Turkish town, about four miles to the south from Laodicea, with about three hundred horse in pursuit of a famous robber called Inge Morad, who with a party of two and twenty horse, had alarmed the whole country. Our way lay almost west to Laodicea, where we arrived after six hours and a half, and. passing down the hill, lodged at the bottom of it, to the north of the ruins, in a poor village called Congeld.

LAODICEA.

Laodicea, (called by the Turks, Eski Hisar, or the Old Castle) a city of Lydia, according to the geography of the ancients, is above twenty miles distant from Colosse, situated upon six or seven hills, taking up a vast compass of ground. To the north and north-east of it, runs the river Lycus at about a mile and a half distance; but more nearly watered by two little rivers, Asopus and Caper; the other to the south-east; both which pass into the Lycus, and that into the Meander. It is now utterly desolated, and without any inhabitant, except wolves, jackals, and foxes; but the ruins shew sufficiently what it has been formerly; the three threatres and the circus adding much to the stateliness of it, and arguing its greatness. That whose entrance is to the north-east is very large, and might contain between twenty and thirty

thousand

thousand men, having above fifty steps which are about a yard broad, and a foot and a quarter in height one from another, the plain at the bottom being about thirty yards over. A second that opens to the west; and a third, a small one, whose entrance is to the south: the circus has about two and twenty steps, which remain firm and entire, and is above three hundred and forty paces in length from one end to the other: the entrance to the east. At the opposite extremity is a cave that has a very handsome arch.

To the south-east are the ruins of a fortification cut for an aqueduct, the channel of which is cut through massy stones: formerly there were two rows of pillars from south-east to the north-west, the bases only remaining, continued on a great way, and other rows from north-east to south-west, which probably might bound the walk leading to some palace.

The walls of a very large church still remain: to the west side of which are adjoining three very curious arches.

More to the southward, two rows of arches, five on each side.

On the 16th we left the village an hour after sun-set, the moon favouring us; and after six hours and a half, at the bottom of a small hill, but not far distant from a very high one, we saw a boiling fountain, whose waters were extraordinary hot and scalding; it sent forth a very thick vapour like the smoke of charcoal, which diffused itself over the plain. About half a mile thence we cross again the Maunder over a very rotten and dangerous wooden-bridge, a fair and large bridge of stone somewhat above it, being so broken in the midst, that there is no passing over it, and so entered upon the pleasant and fruitful plains of Apamea, watered by the Maander, whose various windings and turnings we observed with great pleasure and satisfaction: riding all along its banks for several hours. After almost seventeen hours riding, arrived at Nozli.

On the 18th after we had rode three hours from Nozli, we came to a village called Teke-kuy, very pleasantly situated, and about a quarter of a mile thence, on the right hand, went to see several great ruins that lie on the north upon a hill; between which and the opposite great hill is a very lovely plain. We made up to the ruins of the castle, and a great aqueduct; other vast ruins lying

dispersed

dispersed up and down for a great way these ruins are called by the Turks, Sultan Hisar, or the Sultan's castle; and can be no other than those of Tralles, formerly the seat of a bishop, and a famous city in the first beginmings of Christianity; situated about three quarters of a mile from the Maander. Having travelled 'eight hours this day, we came to Guzel-Hisar, where we took up our lodging in a chane.

Guzel-Hisar, or the fair castle, is a very great and well built town, walled, and having very handsome gates, with several moschs. We found in it several pilars and ancient buildings, which made us conclude by its distance from Tralles, that it is Magnesia ad Maandrum, formerly the seat of a bishop, to distinguish it from another city of that name in the same province, upon mount Sipylus. It is now maintained by the trade of cotton yarn, which they send to Smyrna, caravans going weekly hence. On the 19th from Guzel-Hisar to Gheime Aule we made it six hours: our way lying north west.

On the 20th our way lay hence west by north, till we came to descend the hill, upon the top of which we had seen the island Samos to the north-west; at the bottom is a very large aqueduct, with three great arches below, and five above, to convey the water from one side of the hill to the other, and so to Ephesus, where we arrived after six hours.

EPHESUS.

Ephesus, called by the Turks, Ayasaluk, formerly the chief metropolis of the Lydian Asia, and the seat of the Roman Proconsul, (who had the government of these parts) as being the principal city subject to his juris diction, was not then so famous in its flourishing and glory, as it is dismal and despicable at present; being reduced to an inconsiderable number of poor cottages wholly inhabited by Turks, is distant from Smyrna to the south-east, about forty-six miles. It lies to the south of the river Caystrus in a plain (abounding with tamarisk, growing to such an height as to hide a man on horseback) under two hills: the one to the south-east, which runs out a little way; the other, which is very high, to the south; under which lie the most considerable parts of the city, between which is a plain of about a quarter of a mile in breadth; upon the sides of both are very great; ruins, the walls and some arches remaining: upon the

latter

latter, are the ruins of a wall, which seemed to have bounded the city that way, with several caves upon the declivity of it. There lie dispersed upon the ground in several places vast marble pillars; some white, others. speckled; these latter stand by the temple of Diana, of about seven foot in diameter, and about forty foot in height; their chapiters fallen off, and lying near them, proportionable, of about eleven or twelve foot square, and about four or five foot thick, the buses whereon they were fixed being alike thick.

The temple of Diana (for so tradition and fancy will have it, though I suppose it might have been the ruins of à Christian church built upon the ruins of it,) is to the west-north-west, where lie stones of a huge weight, heaped one upon another; it lies north-north-east, and southsouth-west, the entrance from the former, as we conjectured by reason of a very fair gate that way still remaining, formerly enclosed with a wall, (taking up a good compass of ground, where they might have their gardens and other accommodations) though most of it was broken down to the west of it. Having lighted our tapers, and made fast our cord, we went into the labyrinth on the right hand, where after a descent of several foot, we crept through a narrow passage, and so past forward in a direct line. On each side were several rooms, that open into others, built arch-ways; the alleys being so low, that we were forced to creep through them too; and having continued for above a quarter of an hour in these subterranean vaults built very artificially, and intended only at first as a foundation of the temple, (though not undeservedly called a labyrinth, by reason of its several turnings, and the difficulty of finding a passage out of it without a clew) being somewhat solicitous of the ill effects of the damps and the thick air, which put us into an extraordinary sweat, we hasted to enjoy the fresh air, and the comfortable light of the sun.

To the south-west of the temple are the remains of a watch-tower or castle, placed upon a high rocky hill, whence there is a very fair prospect of the south-west sea, and of the promontory Trogyllium. Tradition will have this to be the place where St. Paul was imprisoned, out of reverence to which it is so called; though the situation and narrowness of it, it being not above eleven or twelve paces square, incline me to believe, that it was only intended for a watch-tower to observe what ships pass to Vol. XI. Churchm. Mug. Sept. 1806. Ee

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