But the palaces have no entrances from below, except on the inner or
concave partition, from which one enters directly to the lower parts
of the building. The higher parts, however, are reached by flights of
marble steps, which lead to galleries for promenading on the inside
similar to those on the outside. From these one enters the higher rooms,
which are very beautiful, and have windows on the concave and convex
partitions. These rooms are divided from one another by richly decorated
walls. The convex or outer wall of the ring is about eight spans thick;
the concave, three; the intermediate walls are one, or perhaps one and a
half. Leaving this circle one gets to the second plain, which is nearly
three paces narrower than the first. Then the first wall of the second
ring is seen adorned above and below with similar galleries for walking,
and there is on the inside of it another interior wall enclosing
palaces. It has also similar peristyles supported by columns in the
lower part, but above are excellent pictures, round the ways into the
upper houses. And so on afterward through similar spaces and double
walls, enclosing palaces, and adorned with galleries for walking,
extending along their outer side, and supported by columns, till the
last circuit is reached, the way being still over a level plain.
But when the two gates, that is to say, those of the outmost and the
inmost walls, have been passed, one mounts by means of steps so formed
that an ascent is scarcely discernible, since it proceeds in a slanting
direction, and the steps succeed one another at almost imperceptible
heights. On the top of the hill is a rather spacious plain, and in the
midst of this there rises a temple built with wondrous art.
G.M. Tell on, I pray you! Tell on! I am dying to hear more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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