Description of the Upper Town

The Ascent to the Upper Town

A steep, strongly reinforced zigzag path connects the lower to the upper town (see plate 28). It passes through two archways, and leads directly to the main gate of the upper town. The walls of the zigzag course are made of rubble and brick. Protruding rocks and man made ledges and bastions narrow the passageway here and there. At some points the walls are roughcast; occasionally we can see pieces of marble jutting out. Horizontal parapets, loopholes, and pinnacles of various architectural styles made it possible for the defenders of the upper town to shoot at their attackers both head on as well as from the side. Each part of the ascent is so narrow and short, that an attacker could not have approached the gate of the upper town either in a broad frontal attack, or in a long column on the march. The ascent rises up the face of the cliff in such a way that it is fully exposed to defenders on the wall of the upper town. The latter could not only see every section of the zigzag course, but also could have an easy shot at any potential attacker. The difficulty of the ascent, so noticeable for the modern day tourist, was just the same in earlier times. It was just as difficult for a potential attacker to storm the gate of the upper town as it was for the thousands of residents there to supply themselves with materials, provisions, and goods. Everything had to be transported up the steep ascent by manpower, or on the backs of donkeys.

The portal of the upper town, like that of the lower town, has a facing made of porus rock (see plate 30). Built into the facing is a decorative inscription which reads "Christ reigns here." The inscription is a plaster copy of the original marble block, now housed in the collection of antiquities in the former mosque. Heavy iron bands fitted with square nails reinforce the heavy wooden doors. These serve as yet another defense against a possible attacker who might get this far. The bullet holes in the doors indicate that in the past they have served precisely this purpose. The passageway of the gate has stone benches on either side. We can see that the builders used many pieces of antique marble in their constructions and in the paving of the walkway. The rooms accessible from this passage served as the residences for the guards and as prison cells. About two thirds of the length of the passage we notice harsh light breaking in from above. At this point the defenders could pour hot pitch on enemies who were storming the town (see plate 29). As we continue along the passage it becomes dark again. We next come to an open barrel vault that somewhat obstructs our view; passing this we come onto a square flooded with light. Today this is the main square of the upper town. Tall, old eucalyptus trees stand at the edge of the square; these provide us with a much needed shady resting place after our strenuous climb.