Princeton Expeditions to Syria (1899, 1904-1905, 1909)

April Thursday 20 1905 Dâr Kîtā day about as yesterday Barometer L. 28.08. Broke camp. 8-17 going N. crossing steep wadi and well up opposite hill side to 8-45 Khirbit Tēzîn a small ruined town with well preserved church. Left 10-24 going N. draw E. side of a hill 10-32 Ḳasṛ Iblîsū a small R. town on a shoulder projecting toward N. to few foot hills and then plain - 2 churches, one standing one in foundations. Left 11-32 going E. down hill to small cultivated valley + then E. to E. S. E. up wadi in which are remains of Roman Road to 'Ain Dilfeh, a R. town in wadi widly scattered poor ruins on both side of road many signs of Arabic occupancy. 2 Built fountains out of which burst springs of clear water Left 12-15 following road up Wadi passing 12:30 Kasr il-Benât, a cluster of ruined buildings well preserved with a high tower standing the ruin of a large convent. Followed up wadi still on R. road which in places is cut through the solid rock in ?(mins (approx. 10) passing 2 inscriptions cut in the rock in recessed plate, one stating that under Marcus Auralius Augustus the road was changed to a higher level and the other dated in 6th century (588 AD) fixing the boundaries of the country of the Kaprobaradi + the (?Biziki). In another 7 mins we branched up a wadi to the N.W. ascending in 20 mins to a table land crossing this to N.N.W. arriving in another 15 mins at Serdjibleh a ruined town class B. uninhabited but some tents pitched near it and part of the table land under cultivation in 3 mins we descended wadi winding to N.W. for 15 mins + then up a steep rocky hills side to in 10 mins. Kfellūdîn, inhab. by 3 or 4 families of Turksman a small ruin of a town but nothing worth seeing. From there after lunching for 1 h 17m we rode to W. over contd.

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Kfellūsîn

[Illustration]

Kfellūsîn is a ruined town in the Dj. Halakah Djebel Halaka. It is in a sequestered spot among the hills. A few families of Turkmans have built temporary houses - half tent and half house - among the ruins. The ruins, which are scattered over both sides of a broad valley, consist of a small church on the west side of the valley, a completely ruined church, a high tower, a number of homes, and a row of rock hewn tombs on the E. side of the valley. The three buildings of which plans are given are very well preserved; the other buildings are almost entirely ruined. The chapel is in VI century style. The ruined church appears to have been much earlier. Kfellūdîn near by is completely ruined, only portions of a tower remain standing.

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Kasr il-Benât Kfellūsîn Kfelludin Kfer Hauwar Serdjibleh Burdaḳlī Seir Tell ʿAḳibrîn Deraʿmân il-Kefr Dêr Tell ꜥAdeh

Katura Fidreh Refâdeh Tell ir Rum