Proceedings of the expedition to explore the northern coast of Africa, from Tripoly eastward : $b in MDCCCXXI. and MDCCCXXII., comprehending an account of the Greater Syrtis and Cyrenaica; and of the ancient cities composing the pentapolisBeechey, Frederick William
History
Proceedings of the expedition to explore the northern coast of Africa, from Tripoly eastward : $b in MDCCCXXI. and MDCCCXXII., comprehending an account of the Greater Syrtis and Cyrenaica; and of the ancient cities composing the pentapolis
Beechey, Frederick William
Sidra, Gulf of (Libya); Tripoli (Libya) -- Antiquities; Tripoli (Libya) -- Discovery and exploration
The Pharos, or light-house, if any such existed, was probably erected
on the high ground on point B, in the neighbourhood of the fort at
its eastern extremity, and columns and other fragments of building,
at the back of the western port, point out the places of those
structures usually erected by the ancients near their harbours,
for the accommodation of the merchants and sailors: here also are
the remains of a bridge which was formerly thrown across the ravine,
running down to the wall of this port.
We have already said that traces of the city-wall are observable
between the quarry which contains the amphitheatre and the gateway;
and a portion of it may also be remarked extending from the latter
to the mountains at the back of the town; where they are connected
with other parts of it running along the foot of the range to
the inner bank of the eastern ravine. There again decided remains
of the wall may be traced running parallel with the same ravine;
and which, passing near the bridge represented in plate (p. 362,)
continue towards the sea as far as the remains of the second bridge
which we have already mentioned. Beyond this we could perceive no
more traces of the wall; although it seems more than probable that
it extended on this side to the beach, (as we find it to have done
on the opposite side to the westward,) and that it passed along
parallel with the sea, till it joined the portions connecting the
two forts of the eastern harbour, which we have already observed
to be remaining. We could not discover any traces of a gateway in
the eastern wall of the city; but it is probable that there was
formerly one on this side also, leading to the upper bridge, where
some very strong works are still extant, in the form of a curve,
as will appear by a reference to the plan.
It is difficult to say how these works were connected with the
remains of the wall between them and the mountains; and had our time
allowed it, we should have excavated about them for the purpose of
discovering the connection.
We may reckon that the walls of Ptolemeta, when entire, inclosed a
quadrangle of eighteen thousand English feet in circuit; and the line
of wall which may be traced from the existing remains covers a space
of at least thirteen thousand. A line drawn through the centre of the
city, from north to south, would be about four thousand eight hundred
feet in length; and that which should be drawn across it from east to
west, about four thousand four hundred. The whole circuit of the city
would thus be somewhat less than three English miles and a half[13];
its length, from north to south, something less than a mile[14], and
its breadth from east to west something more than three-quarters[15].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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