tanding, and showing
the same peculiarity as all the other domes in the city, _i.e._, they had
all collapsed on the north side while the southern part was preserved. In
the photograph facing page 268 this is shown very clearly. This was, of
course, due to the potent northerly winds. Rustam's tall house and high
walled enclosures can be seen in this photograph, some semi-collapsed
domes of great proportions showing just above the high enclosing wall.

A spacious court commanded by a raised passage from north to
south--evidently for soldiers to patrol upon--was within the enclosure,
and, in fact, Rustam's premises formed a regular strong citadel within
the city.

On the ground floor, now considerably below the level of the street
outside, was a long room, like a store-room. In the north wall it had a
most wonderful arrangement of ventilating chambers, which made the room
deliciously cool. These contrivances were like slits in the wall, with
boxed-in channels, where a great draught was set up by the natural inflow
and outflow of cooler and hotter air from above and under ground, and
from in and out of the sun. A great many receptacles could be noticed in
the lower portion of the wall, and also some low mangers, as if sheep had
been kept here to supply meat for the inmates of the citadel in time of
siege.

Next to this, with an entrance on the main street, was Rustam's reception
hall--a great big room with domes no less than 18 feet high inside, but
now fallen through in two places. There were doors on the south and
north, and eleven receptacles specially constructed for lamps. These
receptacles were rather quaint in their simple design.

[Illustration: receptacle for light.]

All round Rustam's palace the city wall was double, and strengthened with
outside battlements. The same thing was noticeable in two portions of the
city wall to the west and south sides. The city wall was irregular in
shape, and impressed one as having been built at various epochs, and the
city had the appearance of having been enlarged in comparatively recent
times. There was a moat outside the wall, but in many places it had got
filled up with sand. A glance at the plan which I drew of the city will
give an idea of its shape.

[Illustration: The Remains of the Two Upper Storeys of Rustam's House.]

On the north side of the main street, opposite Rustam's house, was a
large stable, unroofed, and showing in the wall a number of mangers,
which a