Item 06: Letters sent by Robert Christian Wilson to his family, 1918-April 1919 - Page 251
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[Page 251]
straight in to the arena of a tremendous ampitheatre; such as you read of in books like "Pearl Maiden" or the "Gladiators"; but which you never for a moment imagine exist at the present day; yet such was the surprise I got on entering the village.
The gully, just where the town is, narrows down almost to a ravine with steep hills each side; which were used as seats for the galleries and a flat space it in the bottom of the gully which formed the arena.
The present village is built partly in the ampitheatre, but mostly in the gully just beyond it. and The old masonry, on the hill, on the right hand side going up the gully, has nearly all been destroyed, or covered over in the ages, but on the left hand side it is practically as it was when built, I suppose a couple of thousand years ago, and as the road follows the foot of the right hill along, you dont notice the absence of buildings there but you look accross to your left, and see the standing columns and pillars, with massive stone work on top of them, wonderfully carved and decorated, forming the ancient arena, whilst behind them and up the opposite hill are tier after tier of stone seats built in a big semi circle, whilst and in the centre of these and right at the top, comanding a view of the whole ampitheatre, is a big throne has