1847-] Journal of a Steam Trip to the north of Baghdad . 313 



The town is farmed by Government this year to the present Zabit Seid 

 Hussain, for 280,000 Riego Piastres, or a sum nearly equalling to ^£660 

 sterling. 



To the north of the modern town, about half a mile, a curious spiral 

 tower is situated. It is called the Malwiyeh.* Ascertained its height 

 to be 163 feet, as near as possible. From its summit a fine view of the 

 extent of ancient Samarrah is obtained. Heaps of bricks, glass, pottery 

 and scoriae are strewed in every direction, and the alignments of many 

 edifices are plainly distinguishable from this commanding position.f 

 The former town is said to have been watered by a tunnel cut under 

 ground, having its mouth in the neighbourhood of the Hamrin. Traces 

 of this tunnel are still to be seen in the remains of wells, (named Kan- 

 nats or Kharees) descending into it. Both the Malwiyeh and the 

 remains of an oblong building (the Jammah or Medressah) close to it, 

 are built of fine brick, with a neatness not to be equalled in the present 

 day. The Medressah is about 810 feet in length and 490 broad, hav- 

 ing 12 buttresses between the corner bastions on its N. W. and S. E. 

 faces, and 10 on its N. E. and S. W. side. The great entrance faces the 

 Hebla and shows at once its Mahomedan origin ; a fountain appears to 

 have existed in the centre of its area. The walls at present are about 

 30 feet high, and on the S. W. side the remains of Gothic windows are 

 discernible. To the N. N. W. of the Malwiyeh, about two and half miles 

 distant, are the remains of the Khalifa or Palace of Motassem, the 8th 

 Khaliph of the Abbasides.J The entrance is now all that is left standing. 

 The ruins around occupy a large space and have vaulted chambers beneath 

 them ; many an idle tradition is attached to these subterranean apart- 

 ments by the Arabs, and moreover " Beckford's Vathek" owes its origin 

 to this locality. During our visit to it in 1843, we descended into the 



* See sketch of this town and the modern Samarrah, with a bird's eye view of the sur- 

 rounding' ruins. 



t A spiral road on the outs : de of the tower conducts to its summit. Fraser, in lu's 

 description of this tower, states the existence of a staircase in the interior of the building-. 

 I think however he is in error, as 1 deem it, from close scrutiny, a solid mass of brick- 

 work. Large holes, similar to those observed at the Birs, Nimrud and the Mujelibe, perfo- 

 rate the pile at right angels, but for what purpose unless for ventilation I am ignorant. 

 All the Babylonian ruins indeed, are thus pierced through, and the architect of the 

 Khalifs in this peculiarity, appears to have copied the more ancient, models. 



% He quitted Baghdad on account of the. rebellious disposition of its inhabitants. 

 \otein Rich, Vol. 2, p. 201. 



