mbled in many respects the great palace of the
Sassanian monarchs, of which splendid remains still exist on the site
of Ctesiphon, where they are known as the Takht-i-Khuzroo, or Palace of
Chosroes. That palace was, however, on a very different plan from the
Hatra one, comprising as it did one hall only, but of a size vastly
superior to any of those at Hatra, and two wings, one on either side of
the hall, made up of dwelling and sleeping apartments.

The few windows which exist at Hatra are oblong square in shape, as in
general are the doorways connecting one apartment with another. In one
case there is an arched doorway, or niche, which has been blocked up.
There are no passages except the one which surrounds "the Temple," the
apartments generally leading directly one into another. In some cases
the lintel of a doorway is formed of a single stone, and ornamented with
very delicate carving. The doorways are for the most part towards the
corners of apartments; that of the Temple, however, is in the centre of
its eastern wall.

The general style of the buildings at Hatra has been said to be "Roman
or Byzantine;" and it has even been supposed that in the style of the
ornaments and sculptured figures may be traced the corrupt taste and
feeble outline of the artists of Constantinople. But there is abundant
reason to believe that the Hatra Palace was built nearly two centuries
before Constantinople came into existence; and, although the large-use
of the round arch in vaulting may be due to the spread of Roman
architectural ideas, yet there are no grounds for supposing that any but
native artists, Parthian subjects, were employed in the work, or that
it is other than a fair specimen of what was achieved by the Parthian
builders during the later period of the empire. The palace of Volagases
III. at Ctesiphon, which Avidius Cassius destroyed in his invasion, was
most likely of the same general character--a combination of lofty halls
suitable for ceremonies and audiences with small and dark sleeping or
living rooms, opening out of them, the whole placed in the middle of a
paved court, and the male apartments carefully divided from those of the
women.

The remains at Hatra are further remarkable for a considerable number
of reservoirs and tombs. The open space between the town proper and
the eastern wall and gate is dotted with edifices of a square shape,
standing apart from one another, which are reasonably regarded as
sepulch