The Caravan Route between Egypt and Syria — John Shaqi
The Caravan Route between Egypt and SyriaLudwig Salvator, Archduke of Austria
History
The Caravan Route between Egypt and Syria
Ludwig Salvator, Archduke of Austria
Palestine -- Description and travel
Passing out through a side-door to the left, we found, opposite to the
Jama, an old Egyptian sarcophagus of black granite, now used as a water
trough, covered within and without with very small hieroglyphics.
The interior of the fortress has a very deserted air. We found there
dilapidated clay houses for the soldiers, and, somewhat to the side, the
divan of the governor, which consists of a hall with two circular
arches, the interior containing low sofas covered with rich carpets.
There we waited upon the governor, who, according to invariable custom,
ordered coffee to be served. He then took us over the armoury, in which
was a small field-piece for mounting on camels, and afterwards conducted
us over the fortress. The entire castle, as already mentioned, forms a
quadrangle, and has four hexagonal towers, with embrasures, and a few
bronze cannons. A gallery in a ruinous condition runs round the entire
length of the walls, with a parapet of some six feet in height and
embrasures. The towers of the castle command an extensive view of the
desert, with the distant mountain chains of El Halal and El Magara in
the south-east, the magnificent palm plantation towards the sea, and the
town of Harish itself spread out below.
To the left hand of the castle gate, on passing out, is a small
enclosure overgrown with shrubs, in which is the tomb, already referred
to, of the Piraktar, or standard-bearer, who was killed by the French in
the time of Napoleon. It is of simple clay, ornamented at the corners
with ancient pillars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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