94 MifcelUneaCuriofa. Vol. ItL 



have been. And they have converted the 

 place into a Mofque, having added to the 

 South End thereof new Ornaments after 

 their manner, with ^rabkk, Inlcriptions and 

 Sentences out of the Alcoran^ wrote in Flou- 

 rifhrs and Wreaths, not without Art. But 

 at the North End of the Building, which is 

 ihut out of the Mofque, are Relicks of much 

 greater Artifice and Beauty. Whether they 

 were in the Nature of Canopies over fome 

 Altars placed there, or to what other ufe 

 they lerved , I am not able to conjefture* 

 They are beautified with the moft curious 

 Fretwork and Carvings-, in the midft of 

 which is a Dome or Cupola, above fix Foot 

 Diameter, which we found above to be of one 

 piece ; whether hewn out of a Rock entire, 

 or made of fbme Artificial Cement or Com- 

 pofition, by Time hardened into a Lapideous 

 Subftance, feems doubtful ; though 1 am ra- 

 ther inclined to believe the latter. It is in 

 fine, a moft exquifite Piece of Workmanfliip, 

 and on which I could have beftowed more 

 time to view it, than what was allowed us, 

 haftening to other Sights. 



Having taken this Survey of the Temple, we 

 went Abroad, where our Eyes were prelently 

 accolted with an amazing fight of a multitude 

 of Marble Pillars, ftanding fcattered up and 

 down, for the (pace of near a Mile of Ground, 

 this way and that,r but fo difpofed as to afford 

 no folid Foundation to judge, what fort of 

 Structures they formerly framed. I pafs by 



the Ruins of a Mofch, which di- 

 A Mofch, reding our Courfe Northward^ was 



the firft thing oc cun'd to our View, 



after 



