ENPages That Mention Hama
Butler Diary: Northern and Central Syria IV, 1900
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Djisr il Madjdal March 15, 1900
After leaving Ḥama about two and a half hours to the north west, just south of a small village called Mudjdal, we crossed an ancient Roman bridge which has taken its name from the neigbouring village.
The bridge crosses an arm of the Orontes not very far from its junction with the larger stream. The stream was at its full height when we crossed it owing to continued rains and we could see that there is never sufficient water in the stream to endanger the safety of the old bridge, while all the ancient bridges over the Orontes have long since been swept away.
The bridge is preserved in its ancient form almost entire, four large round arches of equal dimentions, spanning about six metres, are in place, only the solid approaches at either end seem to have been repaired in Saracenic masonry.
Norris: Diary, January - May, 1905
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Shêkh 'Alī Kāsûn 8:30 A.M. Temp. 52º Barot. 27.98 clear, light rar[sp?] air mostly easterly.
During the night of 9th 10th thieves took up the pegs of both sleeping tents while we were asleep, and stole articles out of the tents, but got nothing of great value but L's saddle bag with camera, poncho etc. It was a very clever piece of work. We raised a terrible row about it. The 1st man to appear at the tents which are pitched a little to the E. of the village was an innocent peasant with milk for sale. He was hit with a stick his pail[?] of milk upset, and unused[?]. Then the 2 guards or watchmen [unclear] Tongue[?] cashed and then the 2 [unclear] who had slight in the village being sent here by [unclear] [unclear] as we said we did not need them during the night. One of them was taken by the ear [unclear] & led around and into the tents to view the wreck. The two chiefs of the village were [unclear] and told to find the goods. Well[?] they called in all the people who were in the fields and had each man go into a room alone with a bundle of [unclear] or straw and [unclear] it. After all had departed a search was made of the straw for the stolen articles by the shekhs, but nothing was found. 13/B.[?] who was going to Damascus via rail from Hâmā, ordered the men arrested, and so a [unclear] took the two shekhs and the 2 watchmen and started for Hâmā, 4 or 5 hours to the S.S.W. at 1:30 P.M., with the intention of handing them over to the authorities.
P & N. went to the summit of a hill 10 mins. to the N. and N. took some eights[?] & P. got 3 poor [unclear] inscriptions cont'd.
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Shêkh 'Alī Kāsûn 7:00 A.M. Temp. 41º Baro. L. 27.875 clear with few stratus or comulus, calm to light rai. Beautiful day. Left camp 8:15, arrived Temek 9:02. a small town with some 10 familites of settled Bedouin and remains of B. Basalt cut stone and foundations. a tower with 3 walls standing (N.W.E.) inside of which is Greek [unclear] inscription apparently pagan, 6 Greek inscripions inclusive found in town only one of which is dated date being 559 AD. at least one large ancient building arched [unclear] of dwelling built of more ancient material & now used for dwelling purpose. [space] Left 11:12 arrived 11:33 Umm it Tuwêneh, a small settlement of some 20 Bedouin families, cut stones & fouundations rain[?] of church date 539 B. basalt - 3 motifs[?] one dated 566 A.D. Lunched and left at 1:10 crossing small valley to N. arriving at well in valley from which people of it-Tuwêneh get their water at 1:26. Left 1:37 arrived Narrā 2:10 a small settlement of Moelemo[?] owned by a man in Hâmā. cut stones & foundations like the previous 2 towns, and also ruins of 2 churches, one of which must have been quite fine[?], large cut stones and grape vine carving on [unclear] [unclear[ in situ - walls practically all down. N . door lentil[?] dated 5[?] ins. 599 a.D. Foundations partly [unclear] in tact. To the W. by N. some 100 yrds. the foundations of another church not so fine same date, and W. of the 2nd church some 30ft. is a convent tower with wall partly standing. The natives say[crossed-out] told us that there was an inscription[?] carved by a man of devine[?] in front of an arched entrance on the E. side. It would naturally be on the lentil but we did not excesuate[?] for it altogether 11 G.[?] ives were formed six of which were dated. Datis 470 [?] 599 Left Narrā 4:35 arrived 5:25 il-Habbât foundation remains only of a poorly built town covering several acres, and foundations and cut stones some with[crossed-out] (con'td. on next page Mar. 12th)
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Shêkh 'Ali-Kāsun 8:00 A.M. Temp 47º Baro L 27.67 clear overhead - clam - showery conditions all around. Left camp 8:42 Tell id-Deheh[?] 9:35 a small M.[?] village B. Basalt with a Knoll found with rubble. [insertion: over polygonal masonry] 2 very small poor ruins of mosques built of more ancient material which was not very good. 6 inscriptions G. dates 469, 592, 569 489 a.D. Left 10:45 [insertion: going S by E.] arrived [Zabbûdeh]] 10:51 a small competely ruined village of poor grade uninhabited. 4 G. [unclear] dates 589, 591 a.D. Launched[?] Left 1:55 going N by W. arrived [il-Berdôneh]] 2:47 small village of Muslem[?] peasants owned in Hâmā, built of ancient material. a new square home of the owner of the village making it distinguishable for some miles around it is an about the highest part of the 'Alī plateau. 2 insec[?] G. no dates. Left going S by W 3:48 arrived 4:13 Umm Hārtên a small completely ruined place uninhabited - tower[?] a distinct clusters of ruins as the name would indicate. on poor ruins of small church. 1 insec. G. no date Left 4:43 going E by S. arrived camp 5:50.
