"سرد لإقامة في كردستان وفي موقع نينوى القديمة؛ مع مذكرات رحلة إلى بغداد عبر نهر دجلة ووصف زيارة إلى شيراز وبرسبوليس." [‎٧‎٤] (٤٥٠/١٠١)

74 DESCRIPTION OF THE CONVENT. [CH. XV.
for a very tolerable baron's castle of the fourteenth
century. It is situated on the very edge of the pre
cipice, and the bare rock rises immediately behind
it, in which indeed are ensconced many chambers,
and parts of the structure. It is, in short, built in
the abrupt face of the mountain, like a martin's nest,
and the general plan is not very easy to describe.
It consists principally of the aforesaid towers and two
courts between them, with an infinity of little de
tached holes, nooks, and chambers in the rock ; but
from a great many of them being now in ruins, it is
evident that the whole establishment must at one
time have been much more considerable. Indeed it
formerly seems to have been a place of strength, for
Tamerlane took it by storm. He assaulted it from
the eastern side of the mountain, and entered just
above its south-east angle. There were then works
built on the rock, which is now unprotected, and
commands it. The present habitable part, and the
church, which is in the south-east angle, have been
recently fitted up, under the protection of the Pasha
of Mousul's brother, Hajee Osman Bey, but the
skeleton of this part of the design seems to have
been preserved. In the highest part of the inclosure
up the hill are seen some lines of large stones, part
of the original building. This convent belongs to
the Jacobites, and the abbot is always a Matran or
bishop. The present incumbent is an old man, and
besides himself he has only one monk, and a lad who