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Diary entry by Gertrude Bell

Reference code
GB/2/10/2/15
Creator
Bell, Gertrude Margaret Lowthian
Creation Date
Extent and medium
1 entry, paper
Language
English
Location
Coordinates

37.235031, 27.60618

Mon Ap 15 [15 April 1907] Grey and very stuffy, later a strong wind
some thunder and a little rain after we arrived at Kuluk [G¸ll¸k]. Went
out and saw the mosque which is apparently built out of large old
stones and is very charming. A Turkish boy then took me to see a
fine T. house all fallen into ruin though it is still inhabited. I did not see
the gate mentioned by Murray. Off at 6.45 and in an hour reached
Ayakli where there is a very charming Corinthian temple lying in a
gorge of the hills. It is oriented to the NE. A jamb of the NE door is
standing decorated along the 2 fillets with very fine bead and reels
and outside with an egg and dart and a Lesbian cyma, all good work.
So are the caps. The columns fluted but those on the S side have not
been finished nor has the S corner one. The others on the SW front
are fluted - 6 standing - and each bears a tablet with an inscription.
The walls of the temenos are visible enclosing a considerable area.
In front of the temple to the SW at the bottom of the field are two tombs,
built and covered with a stone slab. They have been broken open. A
little further on is a building consisting of 2 parallel vaults, I don't know
what they are. From there we rode on to Mylasa [Milas] which we
reached at about 10.15. The Katurji with us had been a soldier and
had been to Damascus [Dimashq (Esh Sham, Damas)] and Bosra
[Busr'a ash Sham] and Yemen. A very charming Seljuk mosque built
of marble (remains of the temple). I cd not get inside however. We
went to the Khan. I left Fattuh to arrange about horses and with a
Greek walked up to the tomb on the hillside very charming with its
fluted columns and piers crowned by Cor. caps. The casetten [sic] in
the roof can be well seen. Near it, in a house, a large sarcoph. My
guide was full of Chekerji whom he had seen last year. He met him at
a little church on the hills above Mylas and told him he was a poor
man so Chek. let him go. He siezed two rich Greeks and carried them
off. My Greek said he was a charming man, small but very clean.
Then to a gateway, Corinthian, also very good work and so to a khan
where I found the horses ready. It was bazaar day and the town was
full. Off at 11.15 and rode till a little after 12 when we reached a khan or
rather a cahve in a valley where we lunched. The old man had been
there 40 years. A fine ruined castle on the hills before we came into
this valley, to the left. Off at 12.45 and got to Kuluk about 3.30. It is
161/4 miles, 26 kilometres. A road all the way, fairly good. Lovely
view of the bay and Kuluk from the top of the last hill. Went to the
Whittalls' house where I found one Gabriel Geha by origin an Italian
from Aleppo [Halab], had lived long in Egypt and talked Arabic. Mr
Ballard away, I have his room. G.G. full of the wrongs he has suffered
from his uncle a priest in Aleppo who siezed all their property and
when he died left it to the children of another brother whose wife had
been his mistress. Fattuh yesterday described how in Baghdad they
used to cut off the hand of all thieves; he thought this an excellent plan
as it would effectually prevent them from stealing!

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