Soon after eleven a clock we arrived at _Tyria_, and _conácked_ in an old, dirty, ruinous _kane_; having by this time learnt, that the weary and thirsty traveler must repine at no reception, which he meets with in Turkey. _Tyria_ yeilds a pleasant prospect, as we ride into the city, gently ascending from the adjacent plain. The buildings are curiously intermixt with trees and gardens, which extend the circuit of the place; tho the number of its houses seems inferior to that of _Smyrna_. We counted about fourteen _mosques_, one of which we observed to be royal, that is, adorned with a double _minarée_. Having entered the town we found the streets negligently kept, and meanly built; but at the same time populous enough, not without the appearance of a considerable trade. It is to be wondered that so large a city, standing in the very heart of Asia, should have no remains of antiquity[37]. There are indeed two Greek churches in the place, where the poor ignorant priests would persuade both themselves and us, that this was the antient _Thyatira_; but we thought it not fit to rob them of the satisfaction of this error, nor puzzle them with any accounts of antient geography, or late experience, that evince the contrary. It is pretended in some journals, that two or three valuable inscriptions are to be found in these churches, tho we were now eye witnesses of the contrary; for there occur’d nothing in that, which they call the Metropolitan church, but a defaced monument, whereon no intelligible words were to be read, except ΧΡΗΣΤΕ ΧΑΙΡΕ. Over the entrance of the other there is a piece of devotion, written in modern characters: but more remarkable, in the body of the wall stands a large image of our _Savior_, elegantly carved in porphyry; tho it now appears rudely mangled, and seems to have felt the fury of the old angry _iconoclastae_. In the hand is portrayed an open book, inscribed with this sentence out of _St. John’s_ Gospel, viii. 12. Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου. This was an instance, which may perhaps appear to be singular, at least it is contrary to the general practice, as well as persuasion of the Greek church; for tho they have a superstitious fondness for religious pictures, yet they abhor all imagery in _relievo_, and look upon it as inclining to heathenism and idolatry. April xxx. By six this morning we set forward from _Tyria_ in our way for _Ephesus_, and passing thro the extreme skirt of the city, we observe the inscription of an ancient stone coffin, now converted by the Turks to supply the use of a cistern. It has been defaced towards the upper parts of the chest, and permitted us to read only these following words: