Innermost Asia : vol.2 / Page 433 (Color Image)

0433	Innermost Asia : vol.2

of a domed central portion and two aisles. The dome of the central portion rests on arches which
spring from abutments, measuring 3′ 9″ by 2′ 6″. These arches, like the vaultings of the aisles,
are built of rows of bricks set on edge, their longer sides lying along the curvature of the arch. As
in the Western type of true arch there is a keystone. Masonry courses rising to 1½ feet above the
top of the arches form an oblong, and this by means of squinches in the corners is reduced to an
octagon ; on this rests the dome, with four openings, much broken, for admitting light. The two
aisles, which have a length of 10½ feet and a width of 5′ 8″, carry barrel vaults, which above the
longer side have an apsidal ending (Fig. 471). Recesses, 4 feet wide, are placed in the wall at both
shorter ends. A narrow plinth runs along all wall portions at a height of about 9′ 6″ from the
floor, and above it are arranged series of niches, about 15″ deep and 2½′ high, three along the longer
side and two above the recess on the shorter sides. In the better preserved of the 14 niches there
could be traced plaster bases about 8″ high and 10″ deep. The height of the niches above the
floor seems to preclude any other use of these bases than to carry small images. But no remains
of such could be traced when the refuse covering the ground was cleared in two of the corners,
the only finds being fragments of turquoise-glazed pottery and of some textiles in wool and silk.ˢ
From this hall a narrow passage leads to an open quadrangle of imposing size. It is enclosed
on three sides by the much-decayed walls of large vaulted apartments, and on the fourth, on rising
ground, by a high terrace supported by buttresses and bearing more structures on its top. The
buildings on the two longer sides of the quadrangle may well have had two stories ; but their walls
are badly decayed, and owing to the debris filling the ruins only the roughest sketch of their dis-
position was practicable in the plan Pl. 53. A better idea of them can be gained from the photo-
graphs (Figs. 456, 457), which show the whole complex of ruins in the upper portion of the walled
area as seen from the slope of the hill behind. The high detached masses of masonry on either side
facing each other (see also Fig. 464) form a curious feature. Their slope towards the court is too
steep to suppose that they could have carried stairs, and the idea suggests itself that they might
be later additions meant to buttress structures behind. The great dimensions of several apartments,
especially on the north-eastern side, where two, c and d, measure not less than about 79 feet by 16
and 42 feet by 26, clearly show that accommodation for large numbers was intended. But there
is nothing in the structure to indicate whether such accommodation was needed for the fortified
seat of a chief or perhaps to meet the requirements of a populous sacred establishment.
The terrace forming the north-western side of the quadrangle rises some 20 feet above the level
of the latter. Buttress walls divided by narrow vaulted recesses in two stories (Figs. 458, 463)
have been built to support it and counteract the outward thrust of the structures built above. The
irregular arrangement of these buttresses at once suggested successive repairs and alterations,
and an interesting discovery behind the outer masonry of one of the buttresses subsequently con-
firmed this. From one of the vaulted recesses, e, a passage now blocked by debris appears to have
given access to the vaulted galleries which carried the terrace in front of the structures occupying

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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

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National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

Citation Information

OCR Text

National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books