256 CIBYRA. 



close by. They did not deceive us, for here we 

 found the remains of a great city, which proved 

 to be, as we had anticipated, Cibyra. The plain 

 we had just crossed, and which extended east- 

 ward as far as the eye could see, was the 

 great Cibyratic plain. Corancez and Fellows 

 both crossed it, and must have passed close by 

 Horzoom. 



The ruins of Cibyra cover the brow of a 

 ridge between three and four hundred feet 

 above the level of the plain, and about half a 

 mile distant from the village of Horzoom. The 

 ridge is partly composed of fresh-water tertiary 

 strata, and partly of serpentine, a very unusual 

 foundation for a Lycian city of any consequence. 

 Good limestone is not far off, and furnished the 

 material for the buildings, which are numerous and 

 extensive, and many of them in good preserva- 

 tion, — evidences of the ancient importance of the 

 place. The site is by no means imposing or 

 picturesque; we approached it by a ravine, at 

 the head of which is the upper part of the 

 ancient city: here the most important building 

 is a theatre, in fine preservation ; it measures 

 two hundred and sixty-six feet in diameter. 

 There are thirty-six rows of seats visible, and 



