/ of Petra, a City excavated from the solid Rock. 229 



blance complete. The greater number of them present them- 

 selves to the high road, but there are others which stand back 

 in the wild nooks and recesses of the mountain. All seemed to 

 have been sepulchral ; and it was here that we first observed the 

 features of a sort of architecture that was new to us, and is per- 

 haps not elsewhere to be found. 



To erect quadrangular towers for sepulchres seems to have 

 been the fashion in several inland districts of the east. They 

 abound at Palmyra, and are seen in the valley of Jehosha- 

 phat near Jerusalem, &c. : but the details and ornaments of 

 these universally betray an imitation of Roman architecture, 

 whilst at Petra they bear all the marks of a peculiar and indi- 

 genous style. Their sides have generally a shght degree of that 

 inclination towards each other, which is one of the characte- 

 ristics of Egyptian edifices, and they are crowned with the 

 Egyptian torus and concave frieze. A very remarkable super- 

 structure rises above as a parapet. Two corresponding flights 

 of steps represented in relievo, ascend in opposite directions 

 from two points near the centre. They are connected to- 

 gether by a horizontal line drawn between the uppermost 

 steps, and these are usually from four to six. At the an- 

 gles are pilasters. In many instances they have a conside- 

 rable diminution upwards. The capital is very peculiar, and 

 appears like the rough draft of an unfinished Ionic capital as 

 it comes from the quarry. It is, however, almost universal on 

 these tombs, and may be called the A7'ahian order of architec- 

 ture. An entablature and frieze, little differing from the Ionic 

 or Corinthian, rests upon these pilasters. Above there is a blank 

 space in the nature of a low attic, which is finished with the 

 Egyptian torus and frieze, bearing the superstructure which 

 I have described. There is one single example near the thea- 

 tre of an upper door- way opening in this attic, to which there 

 is no visible access. There may possibly, however, be some stairs 

 in the interior. The lower door-way is unluckily choaked, so 

 that we could not ascertain. In some instances the pilasters 

 are multiplied to four in the front, and are rounded instead of 

 being angular. What is the least peculiar in the details of 

 these Arabian elevations is the decorations of the door-ways, 

 which have in many instances a pediment not distinguishable 



