Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/395

Rh Harrân by the Kara Koyoon and Koti rivulets. The former, as has already been noticed, flows from the north-west of Urfah, from a place called Keshishlek, and is joined about two hours below the town by the water from the mosque of Ibraheem Khaleel. Some distance south of this junction several springs form a small rivulet called the Koti, which also flows into the Kara Koyoon. The Jullab winds its solitary way through the desert for about ten miles south of Harrân, when it is increased by another stream formed by several springs rising near the shrine of Ibraheem Khaleel, and called Jullâb-oot-Toorkmân. Some hours farther south the united Jullâbs are joined by the Beleekh and flow into the Euphrates at Racca. Harrân is about thirty miles from Racca.

We left Sufoog's encampment at 2, and travelled over a barren road for two hours, when we came in sight of fields of wheat and barley which had been entirely destroyed by the wind and hail of the preceding evening. The soil here is alluvial, owing to the overflowing of the Jullâb, and is tolerably well cultivated by the Arabs of the district. We reached at 5  and the brother of Shlash, the chief of the Jès Arabs, volunteered to conduct us through the place. Harrân stands on two low hills, and from the traces of old foundations appears to have been encircled with a wall which joined on to the castle. The castle is of an irregular shape, and built chiefly of bricks very much resembling those which have been dug up at Nimrood and Nineveh. On the projecting angles of this ruined edifice the Arabs have erected their conical huts with the bricks which are scattered about most plentifully in every part of the enclosed space. Not far from the castle is a small eminence literally covered with several hundred of these quaint-looking habitations, some of which consist of three cones, whilst others have no more than one. All were now deserted, the Arabs having taken to their tents to escape from the vermin which infest them during this season. Pursuing our way over mounds of rubbish and lines of old foundations, we came to about the centre of the area, where we found the skeleton remains of the principal building in the place, but for what purpose originally intended it is somewhat difficult to decide. My impression is that it was designed for a Christian temple, and was afterwards converted