- Arundell was chaplain to the Levant Company in Smyrna for fourteen years. This account covers his visit to the seven churches from March to September, 1826. -
Thursday, April 20.—
(pg. 159) It was our intention to have left Denizli at an early hour this morning, but the rain fell so heavily, and almost without intermission, that it was two o'clock before we thought it prudent to set out. We had acquired from the contents of the medicine chest a celebrity which was extremely troublesome; and a wet coat was not so much a subject of apprehension as the risk of meeting with patients like him of Bourdour.
Near the town we passed by a large burial ground filled with fragments of sculptured stones, and strikingly beautiful, from being filled with trees. The cypress, which always marks the site of a Turkish cemetery towards the western coast, and which never fails to excite my admiration, though considered by many as of too sombre a hue, is not to be seen in this part of Asia Minor; in fact, we had not seen one all the way from Aglason; but the Turks are fond of trees, and especially in their burial-places; and therefore every species of tree was collected here, as substitutes for the cypress.
Having crossed a small river (probably the Asopus), flowing down to the plain, about half past two, our course nearly west, we were overtaken by a heavy shower, or rather a torrent, which lasted a full half hour. Nothing could exceed the grandeur of the scene just before the rain began to fall, and at the moment when it ceased. On the left were the lofty peaks of mount Cadmus, of the darkest hue, with a few streaks of snow along their sides; clouds of a whitish colour rolling beneath those peaks, while the atmosphere above them was one mass of condensed clouds, black as night. On the right hand was the ridge of mount Messogis, partly in dark shadow, and partly bright with patches of sunshine; while the terrace, on which were the ruins of Hierapolis, glittered with the re flection of the white masses of incrustation, resem bling sheets of water or of ice falling over the edge. A rainbow of the most vivid colours I ever beheld, with an outer one, as vivid as rainbows commonly are, extended over the whole of the sites of Hierapolis and Laodicea: this said, or seemed to say, “dark and gloomy as the prospect now is, and has long been in these once highly favoured regions, the bow of mercy is again shining, and soon shall the rays of the Gospel sun dispel all recollection of the days of Pagan darkness.”
We passed another burial-ground, having a few fragments, and equally beautiful with the former (34). Only a fortnight ago scarcely a leaf had burst from the bud; and in the neighbourhood of Isbarta, it was still winter—now, every tree was in full and luxuriant foliage. At five o’clock we crossed by a bridge of a single arch another stream, flowing down into the Maeander; and at six o'clock, arrived at Sairikeuy, having had another heavy shower on the way.
Friday, April 21.—
(pg. 162) We had given the Catti vocchio to our apartment by praising it last night, for scarcely had we retired to rest, before we heard a sound which I mistook for a cat or a rat attacking our larder; it was the rain dripping at first, and then pouring through the flat mud roof upon our beds. It continued without intermission all the morning, but the weather appearing rather brighter, though still rainy about noon, we resolved to set out for Bulladan. It was about a quarter past one when we quitted Sairikeuy. According to established usage, Milchon led us out of the road, and we should speedily have had to ford or swim across the Maeander, if some Turks had not shown us the proper road by the wooden bridge; which, after retracing our steps a considerable way, and then crossing corn fields, hedges and ditches, we arrived at. On the other side of the bridge, our road lay nearly north, or north-north-west, over a plain, which in fine weather would have been delightful, but which was now almost impassable; not from the quantity of water, but the difficulty which the horses had of keeping a firm footing on the slippery ground. A ridge of hills lay on the left, and the plain with the range of Messogis, on which stands Hierapolis, at right angles with our road, Hierapolis itself being at the right in front; after wards we turned to the left, in a direction nearly west, or west-north-west, between the ridges of mount Messogis. About three o'clock we saw abreast of us on the right the village, or rather town from its size, of Yenikeuy or Yenisher; and at this time passed a burial-ground with many pillars and other fragments. I kept a constant look out for the ruins of Tripolis, but the cold was so intense, that it was extremely difficult to pay much attention to objects of curiosity.
Saturday, April 22.—
(pg. 164) We rose at six o'clock, but the weather was too severe to think of starting. I placed the thermometer in the open gallery at seven o'clock, and it soon fell to thirty-four. At half past nine we were on horseback, and quitted Bulladan, with more satisfaction than poor Memet, who, in addition to local attachment, had last night contracted a marriage with a young lady, who of course he had never seen (nor would see till after the marriage ceremony), and perhaps had never before heard of. The female relations only are permitted to see the selected object, and according to their report, the bridegroom expectant makes up his mind to marry or not to marry. Memet had lost his mother; his only sister was in Smyrna, and he therefore trusted to the report of an old aunt. On our road we were treated by him with figs and dried nuts, a present from the lady's family. The cold was nearly as severe as yesterday, at least during our passage over, or rather between the ridges of mount Messogis. Our course was north west. At half past eleven we had crossed a river several times, and the village of Debrent lay close on our right hand. At this place two poor Greek boys, who had been permitted to avail themselves of our protection from Sairikeuy, and were going to Philadelphia, were detained and examined. They were released on the payment of a few paras, and soon rejoined us. They were natives of Rhodes, and had been robbed about twenty days ago of several hundred piastres, the amount of their earnings, by a Greek pirate, who had also plundered an English ship of property to a large amount, at the same time. From this time till one o'clock we passed through a narrow winding defile between high mountains, well clothed with evergreens. The same river ran through it, and we crossed and re-crossed it again at least ten times. About one o’clock we left the defile and en tered on a level road, with the ridge of Messogis still on the left, nearly close to the road, with several villages on its slope; on the right an extensive plain, bounded by another ridge of hills; while before us the plain was terminated by mount Timolus, with its peaks capped with snow. The river which we had passed so often now flowed on our right towards Philadelphia. At half past three we arrived at Philadelphia, a very small village, in which we were fortunate in finding tolerable ac commodations. A letter of introduction to the aga, kindly given me by the Kiaya Bey of Ignighioul, would no doubt have procured us better; but the aga was from home, and not expected to return till night.
Sunday, April 23.—
(pg. 166) Our attendants were all in bad humour this morning, and with some reason; they were fasting from want of money. Having repeatedly advanced considerable sums on the road, though contrary to an express agreement on leav ing Smyrna, we were obliged at length to say we would advance no more; in fact, we could not, having scarcely enough for our own necessary ex penses. My letter to the aga, being also a letter of credit, would have helped us out of this dilemma, but the aga was now asleep, and must not be dis turbed. It was also the Sabbath-day, and we were anxious to be at Philadelphia without loss of time. In short, we gave them a share of our own breakfast, and promised to borrow some money on our arrival at Philadelphia. We left Ignighioul at seven o’clock, riding in a north-north-west direction, over a finely cultivated plain inclosed with well-made edges, within which were rich corn fields, &c.:—mount Tmolus appeared to be before us at right angles with our road, but afterwards we found the range of hills on the left, terminating in that of Tmolus, formed rather a semicircle. On the right lay a high ridge of mountains bounding the extensive plain, in which runs, though we did not see it, the same river we had so often seen yesterday. At a quarter after eight crossed a river running down into this plain; and an hour after came to an extensive burial-ground, in which were many fragments, and on some a large and ancient cross. At half past nine we crossed a small stream, flowing down from a mill on the left, close to which we were detained at a cafenét till ten o’clock, by the falling of the baggage horse. Here were evident marks of an ancient town, a wide and high ridge running straight from the left down into the plain; the hill near which this commenced on the moun tain side at the left was evidently levelled and squared at the top and angles; and a conical hill below it in front of a narrow ravine, through which flowed the stream, was most probably the acro polis. Heaps of large but rough stones lay all around, and very near the cafenét was another burial-ground, with numerous pillars and other fragments.
(pg. 167) We arrived at Allah Sher, the ancient Philadelphia, at a quarter before eleven, entering the town through chasms in the old wall, but which, being built of small stones, did not appear to be much older, if so ancient, than the last days of the lower empire ; the passage through the streets was filthy in the extreme, though the view of the place as we approached it was extremely beautiful, and well entitled to the appellation of the " fair city." I had a letter for the Motslem from Suleiman Aga, the grand customer of Smyrna ; Memet carried it to him ; and returned speedily with a very different expression of countenance from his sombre looks, while fasting at Ignighioul.
(pg. 175) "At a distance from the sea, forgotten by the emperor, encompassed on all sides by the Turks, her valiant citizens defended their religion and freedom above fourscore years, and at length capitulated with the proudest of the Ottomans, in 1390. Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect — a column in a scene of ruins."
We quitted Philadelphia at half past ten. mount Tmolus lay close on the left, and the plain on the right. At twelve o'clock we crossed a green ridge running down from the left into (and perhaps across) the plain ; and five minutes after crossed a stream flowing down in the same direction, close to which was a burial-ground with numerous fragments, and another stream having the same course just beyond it. At half past one stopped at a cafenet till a quarter past two, when we immediately crossed another stream. At a quarter before three found in an old burial-ground the inscription (No. 27), of which Smith had only begun the copy. Crossed another stream at three o'clock, running; into the plain like the others, and near it saw some fragments of an ancient wall. In another quarter of an hour we crossed a water-course nearly dry. Close to the road on the right was a pillar, with an inscription nearly illegible. At a quarter before five, a village lay on the mountain side at the left, from which issued another stream. At six o'clock, having passed many smaller rivulets, we crossed a considerable river. In another quarter of an hour we were settled at the Tatar Arab Café;. Our guides wished us to sleep at the village of Salicky, which lay on the side of the road, about an hour behind us ; but we were pressed for time, and overruled their arguments and wishes. At Salicky, there are thirteen Greek houses, and thirty-five Turkish. Tatar Arab Café; has eight Greek houses, and is close to Tatar Dero, where the little population, all Christian, occupy nine houses and five mills, and have a church.
Tuesday, April 25. —
Left the Tatar Arab Café for Sardis at eight o'clock, and arrived at Sardis at nine.
(pg. 176) The appearance of the hill of the acropolis from the opposite bank of the Hermus is that of a triangular insulated hill, close at the back of which rise ridge after ridge of mountains, the most elevated covered with snow. On approaching close to it, the hill, as well as most of the mountains at the back, are perceived to be of a reddish sandstone, and those at the west especially, as well as the acropolis itself, of the most extraordinary and fantastic outline; the crumbling nature of the sandstone will in part account for this ; but a more satisfactory solution will be found in the terrible earthquakes which have so often changed the face of Asia Minor, raising, according to Tacitus, valleys into mountains, and depressing mountains into valleys. Certainly no inferior agency can account for the jagged and distorted forms of the peaks of mount Tmolus, for a considerable distance from Sardis, towards Smyrna. Sardis, the capital of Lydia, identified with the names of Croesus, and Cyrus, and Alexander, and covering the plain with her thousands of inhabitants, and tens of thousands of men of war ; — great even in the days of Augustus ; — ruined by earthquakes, and restored to its importance by the munificence of Tiberius ; — Christian Sardis, offering her hymns of thanksgiving for deliverance from pagan persecution, in the magnificent temples of the Virgin and Apostle ; — Sardis, again fallen under the yoke of a false religion, but still retaining her numerous population, and powerful defence, only five hundred years ago : — what is Sardis now? " Her foundations are fallen ; her walls are thrown down." " She sits silent in darkness, and is no longer called the lady of kingdoms." " How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people." A few mud huts inhabited by Turkish herdsmen, and a mill or two, contain all the present population of Sardis. The only members of the church of Sardis are two Greek servants to the Turkish miller; and how little operative the spirit of primitive Christianity is on one at least of these men will be subsequently shown.
The acropolis is of extremely difficult and dangerous ascent, and the few walls at its summit, in which are an inscription or two, and some ancient fragments, including hexagonal and twisted columns, would not compensate for the risk and fatigue ; the view is, however, magnificent ; the plain of the Hermus, tumulus of Halyattes, the Gygaean lake, &c. In my first visit to Sardis last December, I was accompanied by some naval friends ; one of whom, with the fearlessness so characteristic of a British sailor, mounted to the top of a high but narrow fragment, considerably out of perpendicular, and inclining over that tremendous precipice, which Crcesus neglected to guard, as believing it to be wholly inaccessible ; the fragment was undermined by many a perforation beneath, and at the top the whole crumbled under the touch like dust. It reminded me of the feat of another distinguished naval officer, who stood on the narrow edge of what is commonly mount, in Cornwall. I should adjudge the palm of hardihood to my Sardis friend, for the wall on St. Michael's was firm as the rock.
Of the temple of Cybele, only two pillars remain at present; the Turks have recently destroyed the rest, for the sake of the lead connecting the blocks. It is impossible to behold these magnificent columns, of which “the capital,” says Mr. Cockerell, “appeared tome to surpass any specimen of the Ionic I had seen, in perfection of design and execution,” without being inexpressibly affected. Colonel Leake believes these remains to be ante cedent to the capture of Sardis by Cyrus, and yet the columns are as perfect as if erected yeterday (35).
The object of greatest interest to the christian traveller are the ruins of two churches; one at the back of the mill, said to be the church of the Panagia, and añother in front of it, called the church of St. John. Of the former there are considerable remains, and it is almost wholly con structed with magnificent fragments of earlier edifices: it must be this to which Colonel Leake alludes, as being perhaps the only one of the Seven Churches, of which there are any distinguishable remains; but there are also some remains of the church of Pergamus. Of the other, there are several stone piers, having fragments of brick arches above them, and standing east and west. When Smith wrote, a Christian church, having at the entrance several curious pillars, was appropriated to the service of the mosque.
A theatre, and stadium connected with it, are distinguishable under the northern brow of the aeropolis, but the remains are few. Mr. Cockerell calculates the exterior diameter of the theatre at three hundred and ninety-six feet, and the interior one hundred and sixty-two.
Of the supposed Gerusia, called also the house of Croesus, which lies in the plain to the westward of the acropolis, I measured the first room, semicircular at both ends. It was one hundred and fifty-six feet long, by forty-two and a half wide ; and the walls, celebrated for the durability of the bricks, were ten feet and a half thick. Might not this have been the gymnasium ? There are some other remains, built of very massy stones, now much corroded by age, on the eastern side of the acropolis, near a small stream, one of the branches of the Pactolus which runs down into the Hermus. These remains appear to have been oblong apartments, once evidently arched, and standing north and south ; the bed of the adjoining stream and the stones are not golden at present, but of a dark ochreous colour, as if containing iron. Mineralogists are, I believe, agreed that most of the auriferous sands in all parts of the world are of a black or reddish colour, and are consequently ferruginous. It was observed by Reaumur, that the sand which accompanies the gold of most rivers is composed of particles of iron, and small grains of rubies and hyacinth. Titanium has also been detected in the same sand ; and it would appear from the chalybeate springs which have been discovered in that part of north Carolina which affords gold, that the soil is there ferruginous.
The following account of Sardis is from Dr. Chandler. "Lydia was celebrated for its city Sardis, which was of great antiquity, though posterior to the war of Troy. It was enriched by the fertility of the soil, and had been the capital of the Lydian kings. It was seated on the side of mount Tmolus, and the acropolis was remarkable for its strength. This was on a lofty hill ; the back part, or that toward Tmolus, a perpendicular precipice. One of the kings, an ancestor of Croesus, it is related, believed that by leading a lion about the wall he should render the fortress impregnable, and neglected that portion of it, as totally inaccessible.
Croesus, who was tyrant or king of all the nations within the river Halys, engaging Cyrus, who had followed him into Lydia, was defeated in the plain before the city, the Lydian horses not enduring the sight or smell of the camels. Cyrus then besieged him, and offered a reward for the person who should first mount the wall. One of his soldiers had seen a Lydian descend for his helmet, which had rolled down the back of the acropolis. He tried to ascend there, where not even a sentinel was placed, and succeeded.
"Afterwards, the Persian satrapas, or commandant, resided at Sardis, as the emperor did at Susa.
"In the time of Darius, the Milesians sailed to Ephesus, and leaving their vessels at mount Corissus, marched up by the river Cayster, and crossing mount Tmolus, surprised the city, except the acropolis, in which was a numerous garrison. A soldier set fire to one of the houses, which were thatched, and presently the town was in flames. The Ionians retreated to Tmolus, and in the night to their ships.
"The city and acropolis surrendered, on the approach of Alexander, after the battle of the Granicus. He encamped by the river Hermus, which was twenty stadia, or two miles and a half distant. He went up to the acropolis, which was then fortified with a triple wall, and resolved to erect in it a temple and altar to Jupiter Olympius, on the site of the royal palace of the Lydians."
"Sardis under the Romans was a large city, and not inferior to any of its neighbours, until the terrible earthquake, which happened in the time of Tiberius Caesar. Magnesia by Sipylus, Philadelphia, Laodicea, Ephesus,and several more cities, partook largely in that calamity, but this place suffered prodigiously, and was much pitied. The munificence of the emperor was nobly exerted to repair the various damages, and Sardis owed its recovery to Tiberius.
"The emperor Julian made Chrysanthius, a Sardian, of a senatorial family, pontiff of Lydia. He attempted to restore the heathen worship, erecting temporary altars at Sardis, where none had been left, and repairing the temples, if any vestiges remained. In the year 400, the Goths under Tribigild and Caianas, officers in the Roman pay, who had revolted from the emperor Arcadius, plundered this city. In the subsequent troubles in Asia, the natives in general were compelled to retire for safety to the hills and strong holds. At Sardis they permitted the Turks, on an incursion of the Tartars in 1304, to occupy a portion of the acropolis, separated by a strong wall with a gate, and afterwards murdered them in their sleep.
"It was on the side of the theatre the effort was made, which gave Antiochus possession of Sardis. An officer had observed that vultures and birds of prey gathered there about the offals and dead bodies, thrown into the hollow by the besieged, and inferred that the wall, standing on the edge of the precipices, was neglected, as secure from any attempt. He scaled it with a resolute party, while Antiochus called off the attention both of his own army and of the enemy by a feint ; marching as if he intended to attack the Persian gate. Two thousand soldiers rushed in at the gate opened for them, and took their post at the theatre, when the town was plundered and burned. "
Previous to quitting Sardis, I was deeply affected by an instance of bad principle in one of the two Christians at Sardis. I was anxious to send a letter to Smyrna, and requested this man simply to forward it by one of the numerous caravans, which are almost hourly passing before the mill door, and as an inducement, offered to give him a Greek Testament. I had made the same man a present last December. He flatly and surlily refused to do it ; while a Turk, who accidentally came in at the moment, voluntarily offered to convey it, and he was as good as his word.
(pg. 184) We left Sardis at a quarter before eleven, and crossed the plain in an oblique direction, northwest, towards the Hermus, to ford the ferry. We arrived at the river, having crossed an extensive burial-ground on our way full of fragments, at half past twelve. The ferry-boat was destroyed ; no alternative remained but to ford the river, or return to Smyrna without seeing Thyatira. It was very broad, and looked very formidable. While we were hesitating, a fine Turkish lad of eighteen came up to us, and, unsolicited, offered to be our guide. He accompanied us to the brink of the river a short way below, and pointed out the fording place. The surigee plunged in, but before he had reached a quarter of the way across, he became terrified, and returned. The young Turk instantly mounted one of the horses, and rode in before us. It was providentially not so deep or rapid as to throw the horses off their legs, though very broad, and we reached the opposite bank in safety, though sufficiently wet. We offered some money to our guide who had earned it so well, but, with a generosity which formed a most striking contrast to the conduct of the Christian at Sardis, he positively refused to take a para ! After crossing the Hermus, our course was due north, by a very gradual ascent to a village, close to which our further advance in that direction was arrested by a narrow but deep morass, and we were compelled to return some way to find a sort of bridge on the right. Crossing it at a quarter after one, we had on our right a large oblong elevation, squared like an entrenchment, behind which rose the top of the enormous tumulus of Halyattes, the Gygaean lake lying beyond it, though not just then in view (36). Our road was now through an extensive and open, though not level country, covered with innumerable tumuli ; the larger number of stupendous size. It gave a powerful but affecting impression of the once mighty metropolis of the empire of Lydia ; but even the population of that great city, and the countless hosts of Lydians and Persians, and Greeks and Romans, which fought and fell in the plains before it, were scarcely sufficient to account for the multitude of these astonishing monuments. Perhaps, like the mummy plains in Egypt, this might be a place of interment of peculiar sanctity, not for the metropolis only, but the whole province. That a temple of Diana, called Coloene, once existed near the spot, reputed of great sanctity, gives plausibility to the conjecture. The remains of the temple no longer exist, and the " princes" of Lydia, her wise men, her captains, and "her rulers and her mighty men, sleep a perpetual sleep." Having quitted these memorials of the pride and insignificance of man, we passed over extensive pasturage and corn lands, our course still north ; and at half past three entered a plain, having a range of hills on the left, and the head of the Gygaean lake on the right, near the road. The whole of this plain was covered with a thin coat of whitish mud, the deposit of the water, which covers the whole of it during the winter. At half past four we turned to the left, at the narrow termination of the plain, and soon after entered some inclosures, and then a good road bordered with hedges ; a range of mountains being on the left. At half past five arrived at the town of Marmora, and settled ourselves at the khan. The situation of Marmora, on the side of a lofty precipitous mountain, reminded me of Sagalassus. We were told that there were a thousand Turkish houses, and seven Greek : the former is certainly exaggerated, and the latter underrated. The account in a late publication that " Marmora contains between four and five hundred houses, of which fifty are Greek, four mosques, and one Greek church with two priests,'' is no doubt much nearer the truth.
Wednesday, April 26. —
(pg. 187) I copied an inscription (No. 28) in the market-place, opposite our khan, and from the many pillars and fragments which were dispersed about the town, Marmora occupies, without doubt, the site of an ancient town. We met with nothing to tell us its name. Smith supposes it to be on the site of Exusta. Quitting Marmora at half past seven, I copied another inscription (No. 29) on a fountain close to the town, and at half past eight crossed a river flowing from the left, our course being north. We were now in an extensive plain, and at twenty minutes before nine came to a very large burial-place, full of innumerable fragments of pillars, &c. We had no time to examine them sufficiently, but they doubtless contain many inscriptions. Close on the right was a road distinctly cut through the rock on the top of the mountain ; a town probably lay on the other side. At half past nine we passed a tumulus close on the right, having a short time before noticed another on the left. At half past ten came to another burial-ground near the village of Kenesh, and copied the inscriptions (Nos. 30, 31, 32). About eleven o'clock entered the magnificent plain of Thyatira. At twelve o'clock passed a third burial-ground, the same probably mentioned by Dr. Smith, and where he copied an inscription. We reached Ak-hissar, the ancient Thyatira, at half past twelve, and alighted at a khan magnificent for its extent, called the pambouk (cotton) khan.
(pg. 188) The appearance of Thyatira as we approached it was that of a very long line of cypresses, poplars, and other trees, amidst which appeared the minarets of several mosques, and the roofs of a few houses at the right. On the left a view of distant hills, the line of which continued over the town ; and at the right adjoining the town was a low hill with two ruined windmills.
Thyatira is a large place, and abounds with shops of every description. The population is estimated at three hundred Greek houses (the papas told us five hundred), thirty Armenian, and one thousand Turkish ; nine mosques, one Armenian, and one Greek church. We visited the latter ; it was a wretchedly poor place, and so much under the level of the church-yard, as to require five steps to descend into it. The priest told us that the bishop of Ephesus is the Αξχιε§ευς, of Thyatira. We intended to give him a Testament, but he seemed so insensible of its worth, that we reserved it, as it was our only remaining copy, and bestowed it afterwards much better.
We had not been long in our lodgings before an immense troop of horsemen took possession of the khan. It was the new motslem of Aidin- Guzel-hissar, with his numerous suite, all superbly dressed, on his way from Constantinople to his government ; bearing an order to depose the present motslem, the friend of Dr. Pascal, and the enemy of poor Dandoria. It was an interesting sight, and gave a more oriental appearance to the khan and town in general than any thing I had yet seen. These were evidently Turks of the court, and strongly contrasted with those of the remoter districts. It was amusing to see these dandy gentlemen attending with their coarse hair bags to receive the allowance of barley for their horses. We had some reason to fear the want of a lodging, but a respectable young Greek of Therma, who said he was of French extraction, most kindly gave us his chamber, where we were extremely well accommodated. Mr. Hartley had a long and serious conversation with this young man and several of his friends, who seemed more impressed by the truths he spake to them than any I had yet seen on our journey.
"Very few of the ancient buildings," says Smith, " remain here ; one we saw, which seems to have been a market-place, having six pillars sunk very low in the ground, about four spans only left above. We could not find any ruins of churches ; and inquiring of the Turks about it, they told us there were several great buildings of stone under ground, which we were very apt to believe from what we had observed in other places, where, digging somewhat deep, they met with strong foundations, that without all question have formerly supported great buildings. I find by several inscriptions that the inhabitants of this city, as well as those of Ephesus, were in the times of heathenism great votaries and worshippers of the goddess Diana. The city has a very great convenience of water, which streams in every street, flowing from a neighbouring hill to the eastward of it about a mile off; there being above three thousand five hundred pipes, if the Turks may be credited, to convey it to every part of it. It is populous, inhabited mostly by Turks, who have eight mosques here, few Christians residing among them ; those Armenians we found here being strangers, who came hither to sell shashes, handkerchiefs, &c, which they bring out of Persia. They are maintained chiefly by the trade of cotton wool, which they send to Smyrna, for which commodity Thyatira is very considerable." " It is this trade," says Rycaut, " the crystalline waters, cool and sweet to the taste, and light on the stomach, the wholesome air, the rich and delightful country, which cause this city so to flourish in our days, and to be more happy than her other desolate and comfortless sisters." It was at Thyatira that Antiochus collected his forces, before his defeat near Magnesia by the Romans, under the consul Lucius Cornelius Scipio. (pg. 191)
Mapping by Rory Palmer, Version 1 (August 2017)