AYOUN.
97
right,  three  or  four  miles  off,  upon  another  Tel,  stands  the  ruined
castle  El  Koueires-().  From  Keres  to  Ayoun  (e),  two
hours  distant  from  Zahouet  el  Khudher,  the  ground  is  covered
with  walls,  which  probably  once  enclosed  orchards  and  well
cultivated  fields.  At  Ayoun  are  about  four  hundred  houses  without -
  any  inhabitants.  On  its  west  side  are  two  walled-in  springs,
from  whence  the  name  is  derived.  It  stands  at  the  eastern  foot
of  the  Szfeikh  (),  a  hill  so  called,  one  hour  and  a  half  in
length.  I  saw  in  the  town  four  public  edifices,  with  arches  in
their  interior;  one  of  them  is  distinguished  by  the  height  and  fine
curve  of  the  arches,  as  well  as  by  the  complete  state  of  the
whole  building.  Its  stone  roof  has  lost  its  original  black  colour, -
  and  now  presents  a  variety  of  hues,  which  on  my  entering
surprised  me  much,  as  I  at  first  supposed  it  to  be  painted.  The
door  is  ornamented  with  grapes  and  vine  leaves.  There  is  another
large  building,  in  which  are  three  doors,  only  three  feet  high  ;  over
one  of  them  are  these  letters  :
....TOPOMOPIASCS
Over  an  arch  in  its  interior  is  this  :
EIII  ..  .  .  .  ..
*  *
AMMOVIOU  KAI
POOCOT  KAI  TAB
From  Ayoun  ruined  walls  of  the  same  kind  as  those  we  met
with  in  approaching  Ayoun  extend  as  far  as  Oerman  (eé),  distant ¬
  one  hour  and  a  half,  in  the  open  plain.  Oerman  is  an  ancient ¬
  city,  somewhat  larger  than  Ayoun.  In  it  are  three  towers,  or
steeples,  built  in  the  usual  mode,  which  I  have  described  at  Kuffer.
On  the  walls  of  a  miserable  building  adjoining  the  S.  side  of  the
town  are  the  following  six  inscribed  tablets,  built  into  the  wall  ;
the  second  is  inverted,  a  proof  that  they  have  been  placed  in  this
situation  by  modern  barbarians  as  ornaments  :