The Chaliphate - Muir - The Search For Mecca

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94 'OMAR [chap. xiii.
A.H. 13-14.
The people ofthe town deserted by Heracliu.s,and a.stoni.shcd
at the irresi.stiblc valour of the Muslim.s, remained pas.sive
spectator.s of events. The Muslim.s treated them well, and,
in consequence, received from them supplies and forage.
A colony of Muslims was founded upon the Orontes—the
river which flows by Antioch, the town to which Heraclius
had withdrawn. Whilst the army which was to sweep the
invaders out ofthe bounds ofthe Empire was being organised,
to Baanes the Armenian was committed the task of constantly
harassing the Arabs, and so preventing, above all,
the fall of Damascus. He is said to have driven back the
Muslims from Emesa upon Damascus, and pitched his camp
on the banks ofthe River of Damascus—the often-mentioned
Barada, the Abana of the Old Testament, within sight of the
City— only, however, to retire again upon Emesa. The
Muslims built a fort at Berza, the reputed birthplace of
Abraham, at the foot of Jebel K.lsiyun, about a league to
the north of the City, in order to protect the besiegers from
attack in that direction. An advanced post, under the brave
Himyari Dhu'1-Kela', is said also to have been established
at the Thanlyat al-'Okab, where the tracks leading to
Damascus and to the Euphrates divide.
As regards the disposition of the Muslim forces before
the town, Khalid's division was stationed to the east side,
in such a way that his left wing faced the East Gate, at the
extremity of the " street called Straight," whilst his centre
lay between this gate and that of St Thomas, on what is
now the great cemetery. Reminiscences of the siege are,
it is true, to be found upon the north side also; there is the
convent of Khalid, half a league outside the Gate of Paradise,
Bab al-Faradls ; this gate itself bears traces of fire, which
may date from this time; and it is sometimes at the present
day called Bab al-Karadis — perhaps from the heap of corpses.
On the other hand, the East Gate is the best preserved of
all the gates of Damascus.
Capitulation. The divisions of Abu 'Obeida faced the Gate of Jabiya
or West Gate, and that of Yezld the Bab a.s-SaghIr or
" Little Gate " at the south-west angle of the wall, or the
stretch of wall between it and the Bab Kaisan at the
south-east. The camp of *Amr is said to have been pitched
opposite the Bab Tuma, or Gate of St Thomas, at the