ENPages That Mention Djebel
Butler Diary: Northern and Central Syria IV, 1900
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Ḳalʿat il Muḍîḳ (Apamea) March 17&18th, 1900
From Ḳalʿat Sêdjar we moved the camp northward, crossing the river just below the town and travelling over the rolling downs of the river valley about four hours toward the Southern foothills of the Djebel. Here is situated the ruin of a great Saracenic castle upon the acropolis of the ancient city of the Seleuicid kings. The ruin is now occupied by a large and filthy village.
The acropolis rises directly from a great marsh which was once a lake. From either side of the acropolis begin the walls of the lower city which run to the North and South and then turn eastward to enclose an enormous area.
The walls are easily traceable throughout this entire length, parts of them have been rebuilt by the Saracens but in a number of places the ancient stonework, of excellent character, is still in situ. Toward the East and South a deep narrow valley forms a natural moat below the walls but toward the north the country is level.
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Leaving the Djebel Ḥâṣṣ we crossed the plain to the east passing over an area of the salt lake, to the Djebel Shbêt, a small group of hills isolated in the desert.
The center of civilization in this Djebel was Ḳaṣr Zebed a large town situated in a valley well to the east opening out upon the plain and extending well back among the hills to the fountain of Djebel Zebed.
In this ruin we have examples of the highest development of ^Christian^ building in black stone. The same general method is employed here ^as in Dj. Ḥâṣṣ^ but the execution is much better and has proved more enduring.
There are considerable remains of three large buildings two of which are churches and the third probably a civil basilica, all these in the town itself. In the hills above the town are two well preserved monumental tombs. Of the houses and other buildings naught remains but walls almost completely buried in the sandy soil.
