Page:From Constantinople to the home of Omar Khayyam.djvu/308

 166 DAMQHAN AND ITS ENVIRONS

enjoyed abundant prosperity in its long lifetime, and is a place of commercial importance, as well as a city of noteworthy monu- ments. These latter we may now proceed to visit in order.

The first structure to attract the attention is the old citadel, Kalah or Burj, not far from our chosen hostelry. This ruined stronghold, with its heavy walls of earth, covers an area of some two hundred and fifty yards square, surrounded by the remains of a moat, in which are some stagnant pools of green water. 1 The entrance is on the southern side, and the vaulted arrangement of the portal looks old. Judging from the rather large bricks, I thought that the origin of the structure might possibly date back to Sasanian times. The crumbling circum- vallation itself is formed of rubble, and consists of a double wall — an outer and an inner rampart, the former being par- ticularly thick. Within the compound are still to be seen the remains of the original town, but in such a state of dilapi- dation that one can hardly conceive how its dwellers exist in their miserable hovels of clay. The * Governor's Quarters' were pointed out near the southeast corner of the enclosure, but we fancied that this localization might be open to question. ^

An ascent to the top of the walls of the citadel affords an excellent view of the town, which spreads three quarters of the way around it. The space to the north is less occupied, and opens upon a green vista of gardens and trees, amidst which there lie clustered several groups of small houses, while back of them stretches the plain that merges gradually into the adjacent mountains. To the west of the stronghold, or really on the outside of the town, are the remains of two tombs and a mausoleum, to be described hereafter, together with a well- constructed caravansarai (called also a Ribat), which is com-

1 My notebook records the area of Governor, faced with burnt brick, with the citadel as * 240 yards square ' ; East- what has been a fountain in front.' I wick (2. 152) gives '300 yards.' may add that on neither visit did I

2 I have since found that Eastwick notice the ' curious traceries ' which (2. 163) stated that ' in the centre are Eastwick saw on the walls of the the rooms formerly occupied by the fort.

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