XIV.—The Palace of the Greek Emperors of Nicaea at Nymphio

The map on the next page will show (1) the position of the gulf of Smyrna, and how the mountains on either side of it close in with mount Sipylus on the north and mount Tactalu on the south; (2) how the two ranges of mountains meet at the east of the gulf, where there is a pass leading from the plain of Smyrna to the plain beyond, which in its turn leads to the plain of the Hermos at Cassaba. There is a bridle-path over this pass which leads to Cassaba, Sardis, and Philadelphia. About fifteen miles or thereabouts from Smyrna, a little to the right of the high road on the northern slope of Tactalu, is a village called by the Greeks Nymphio; this was at all times a favourite picnic-ing place for the Smyrniotes during the periods that the neighbouring country was free from brigands; afterwards it became a place often visited by strangers wishing to see the rock-cut figure, supposed to be the work of Sesostris, which is carved on a rock by the side of a stream a few hours distant from Nymphio.