"كتيّب بلاد الرافدين. المجلد IV .١٩١٧" [ظ‎‎٢‎٢‎٩] (٥٣٠/٤٦٣)

454
GAZETTEER OF TOWNS
by 1904, the stones being removed for building purposes. The
Tabriz Gate lies close under the SE. corner of the citadel rock. In
the S. gate are the Serai, and (about 200 yds, further W.) the Arta
Gate. At the N. end of the W. wall under the citadel rock is the
Iskeleh Gate.
The streets of the walled town are narrow and winding; the
houses here are the Government buildings, the barracks, and the
principal shops and bazaars.
The citadel rock, 1,300 yds. long and 360 ft. above the plain, runs
along the whole of the N. side of the walled town. The S. face of
the rock overlooking the city is quite precipitous. The N. side of the
hill slopes down at an angle of 45°, and is easy to climb at most
points; where the rock appears on this side it is cut into steps.
The ground below this slope is marshy, and a swamp fed by several
small springs has filled up the old wet ditch along the N. side of
the hill.
There is said to be a steep stairway cut into the face of the rock
on its S. side leading from the walled town up to the central
citadel, but this is no longer in use. The ascents to the citadel
appear to lie at the W. and E. ends of the rock. The central
citadel occupies the highest part of the summit about halfway
between the E. and W. ends of the rock, or slightly nearer to the
W. extremity. The plateau on which it stands is about 180 yds.
long by 120 yds. broad. E. and W. of this central citadel is a line
of masonry walls some 25 ft. high with circular bastions at intervals.
In this wall are gateways at the SE. corner, on the NW. face, and
at the extreme western corner; the gates themselves have disappeared.
The wall round the SE. gate is half in ruins. At the W. end of
the rock is a large spring overlooked by a bastion of large stone
blocks, which is now in ruins, as also is the wall which protected
the spring. •
The central citadel is isolated from the outer walls and is entered
by a gate at its NE. corner. Its walls are partly of masonry, partly
of mud, built upon ancient foundations of large stones. Apparently
within the central citadel is a naphtha well.
In the centre of the northern face of the hill is a flanking bastion
designed to bring fire along the base of the northern slope ; but this
bastion, and the walls connecting it with the central citadel, are now
in ruins. A subterranean passage is said to lead from it to the
central citadel, but is probably choked up.
A mosque with a minaret is a prominent object in the centre of
the citadel. A masonry magazine shows up prominently at the K.
end, and other magazines are situated in rock-cut chambers a short