The front of the building has suffered in some degree from the depredations of the Arabs, who are said to have carried away a great many sculptures from this place—as much, indeed, a man from Mizda would have made me believe, as fifty-five camel-loads. However exaggerated this statement may be, it is evident that the whole layer over the entrance was originally covered with ornamental slabs, while now only two remain to the left of the doorway; and these, though in the same style of sculpture as the capitals, would rather seem to have been taken from another edifice. There are many debatable points involved in the consideration of this building. The first fact clearly shown is the existence of a Christian community or a monastery in these remote valleys, as late as the 12th century at least, under the protection of a powerful chief; and this is not at all improbable, as we know that Mohammed expressly ordered that zealous priests and monks should be spared, and as we find so many monasteries in several other Mohammedan countries. That it was not merely a church, but a monastery, seems plainly indicated by the division into apartments or cells, which is still clearly to be seen in the upper storey. Attached to the north side of the church was a wing containing several simple apartments, as the ground-plan shows; and on the south corner of the narrow ridge is a small separate tower with two compartments. Near this ruin there is another, which I did not visit, called Ksaer Labayed mtʿa Derayer, while a third, called Ksaer el Haemer, has been destroyed. [Illustration] [Footnote 31: Unfortunately the minimum and maximum thermometers were so deranged that Mr. Overweg was unable to repair them. We had no barometer, and the only aneroid barometer with which we had been provided, and which had been under the care of my companion, was damaged on our first excursion; so that nothing was left to us but to find the elevation of places by the boiling-point of water. I will here mention, for the use of future travellers, that I always wore not only my azimuth, but even my chronometer in my belt, and found this an excellent precaution against accidents of any kind.] [Footnote 32: The place probably derives its name from the _Ruta tuberculata_, “Mejníneh.”] [Footnote 33: See above, p. 45.] [Footnote 34: “Kuléba,” or “kelúba,” is a term of frequent occurrence in these districts for a high mountain-top. In some respects it seems to be identical with the term “thníye,” used in other districts.] [Footnote 35: Mount Teránsa, if it be identical with the Teránsa mentioned above, must be to the east, along the north side of Wadi Sofejín.] [Footnote 36: There cannot be the least doubt that this valley is meant in the passage cited in “Notices et Extraits,” vol. xii. p. 453.; compare Journal Asiatique, série v. tom. i. p. 156.]