[203] The Yeni Kapu differs in plan from the other three. It has square bastions, whereas they are protected on either side by massive round towers. The round towers extend all along the northern parts of the wall; on the other sides the towers are rectangular.
[204] A sketch plan, made by De Beylié, is published in Amida.
[205] His phrase “under the citadel but in the very heart of Amida” is difficult to understand. It does not seem to imply a spring outside the walls, yet there is no place “under the citadel” and within the walls.
[206] One is known by inscriptions to have been erected by the Ortoḳid Sultan Malek Shah in the year A.D. 1208-1209, and the other must belong to the same period. The inscriptions have been published by Van Berchem, see Lehmann-Haupt: Materialen zur älteren Geschichte Armeniens und Mesopotamiens, p. 140. They are more fully published in Amida, but that work has not appeared in time for me to make any accurate reference to it.
[207] Our itinerary was as follows: Diyârbekr, 7; Shilbeh, 8; Uch Keui, 9.5; Dereh Gechid Chai, a deep valley once noted for brigands, 10.45; Tolek, a village on the opposite side of this valley, 11. Here followed 35 minutes’ halt during which the caravan caught us up and passed us, but we came up with it again before we reached Ḳara Khân Chai, a small river, at 1 o’clock. We got to Tarmûr at 2.45. I give these hours since Kiepert’s map is frequently mistaken as to relative distances.
[208] The day’s march was Tarmûr, 6; Kayden Keui, 6.30; Shawa Keui, 6.50 (both these villages lay about three-quarters of an hour to the right of the road); Tulkhum, a mile to the left of the road by a big mound, 7.10; we climbed a low ridge and dropped into a little plain in which we crossed a stream at 8.15; Kadi Keui to the right, 8.30; road up to Arghana, 9; monastery, 10.10-10.55; crossed the Ma’den Chai by Kalender Koprüsi at 1; Khan above Arghana Ma’den, 3; the caravan had arrived a few minutes before us.
[209] The day’s march was as follows: Khân of Arghana Ma’den, 6.20; Khân of Pünoz, at upper end of gorge, 9.40 (the village of Pünoz lies up a rocky valley to the right); Ḳâsim Khân, at further side of plain, 10.55-11.30—there is no village here; Göljik, 11.55; Shabyan, a small village near the water parting, 1.40; Keghvank, 4.
[210] Mezreh is perhaps Ptolemy’s Mazara (ed. Müller, p. 945), and it bears the same name in the Peutinger Tables.
[211] The garrison consisted of 65 men and 80 beautiful ladies, a proportion of the sexes which may have contributed to Balak’s victory.
[212] Kharpût has been identified with Carcathicerta, which was the royal city of Sophene, according to Strabo.