Goldsboro semi-weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1909-19??, 1909-07-14
MR.. We'll AT DAMASCUS
The City Noted For St. PauI's
Conversion and His ES-
cape From Prison
It's Approach and Surroundings AS
Viewed From Overlooking Noun
taiMs Said to Be the Most
Beautiful i'm the World.

taiMs Said to Be the MOST
Beautiful i'm the World.
Dear "Joe Argus: Our trip from
Smyrna to Beyreut, which takes near
ly two days by steamer, is an une
ventful one. The weather is clear ane
the sea rather smooth. We arrive al
Z a. m. and disembark after break
fast
The city of Beyreut is rather an i'm
portant one for trade, and has grown
considerably within the two last dec
AIDES. 1t has now a population OF
about 10000, which consists proba-
bly, of one-half Greeks, Armenians and
Europeans, which is greater proper
ton than any other city in Turkey.
Yet much of this city is modern and
offers nothing of great interest to the
tourist. We only stay here few
hours, then take the narrow gauge
railroad to Baalbeck and Damascus,
which takes us over the mountains OF
Lebanon; about eighteen miles inland
we reach the crest or divide, which is
4,5O0 feet above sea-level. We get
an excellent view from this point over
the sea, as also of the valley of the
Ante-Lebanon. From this point we
can also view the town of Harmana,
nestled in the valley, this is the hCme
of our Syrian friends living in Colds
boro. Harmana is a great health re-
sort in the summer, visited by people
from quite a distance, and is especial
ly attractive for it's fine climate and
its pure cold water. We reach the
junction to Baalbeck about noon and
take our luncheon at hotel near the
depot, the best the town affords. The
looks of the place and the walters
dressed in colored shirts, callarless
and necktie-less, heads covered with
the regulation Turkish fez, did not
enhance our appetite. I tried some OF
the meat, which was too tough to eat,
and which, as 1 found out next day,
was old camel's meat. l considered
that the safest articles of food were
boiled eggs and oranges. This held
good for most of the hotels in Tur-
key. Especially in Syria, and our
delight and comfort were the greater
whenever we reached our steamer.
The only thing of special interest
to be seen here are the ruins of the
great temple supposed to have been
erected some 900 years before the
Christian era. What can still be seen
of this temple indicates one of the
largest and finest structures that has
ever been erected. The main court
of this temple is about 45O by 80
feet and was surrounded by marble
columns so feet high and feet in
diameter beautifully fiuted with CO.
rinthian capitals. Some of the ceiling
of finely carved marble still covers
the roof between the Penstyle and the
main building, immense blocks OF
marble connect the columns and form
a double frieze. 1t is riddle how
these huge blocks of marble could
have been placed in their position.
Yet even a greater wonder is the
enclosing wall on the west side of the
great temple. This contains no doubt
the largest stones ever used in the
construction of any building; several
of these monsters are 13 feet square
and so feet long, weighing about 1000
tons each. How these stones were
brought from the quarry about one
mile distant and raised to a height of
about 100 feet will perhaps always
remains mystery.
A still larger stone lies still at the
quarry. This is Is feet square and "
feet long, weighing about 1900 tons.
This is considered the largest hewn
stone in existence.
Next to the great temple is another
called the Temple of the Sun. This is
considerably smaller, but in much
better state of preservation.
The name of Baalbeck is derived
from the temple of Baal, which Solo
mon is supposed to have erected tc
please some of his heather wives.
We stay in Baalbeck over night ant
I the two hotels are pretty well taxed tn
take care of our company of abou
lone hundred people. We have a spe
..cial train to Damascus under Cook!
sgRidance, and we arrive at Damascus
in about five hours.
Damascus is quite an interestin,
city. if for no other reason than from
che fact that it is one of the oldest
not the oldest city still in existence
The dress and customs of the peo
ple have scarcely changed in thous
ands of years, and their mode of liv
ing is probably the same as many cen
turies ago. We see less of Europea1
style of living here than in other cite
we have visited. The streets open o.
squares and restaurants are crowde
with a motley crowd of native idlers