This is a niyāba which is independent of the niyābat al-salṭana, the nāʾib al-salṭana has no say on it. Its appointment comes from the sultanic gates, by an august marsūm, written by the dīwān al-ʾinshāʾ al-sharīf. (tathqīf) This nāʾib used to be an muqaddam ʾalf, afterwards this became an amir of forty, and this has remained like that up till now. He has to protect and defend the citadel, and he should not hand its key to anyone except to who is appointed in his place of to whom the sultan orders him hand it to. Its nāʾib has Baḥrīya-soldiers, who stay in the citadel to serve him. Nor he, nor one of them is present in the dār an-niyāba in the city. Generally, they donʾt ride. One of the statesmen informed me that in the citadel, there is a drum which is set up to announce the times of the night. When the call to the ʿashāʾ-prayer has been made, he is beaten once after the passing of every four ʿʿdegreesʾʾ, until the first third of the night has passed. And when the second third begins, he is beaten twice after the passing of every for ʿʿdegreesʾʾ, until the passing of the second third. And when the third third begins, he is beaten three times after the passing of every four ʿʿdegreesʾʾ, until the call to the ṣubḥ-prayer is made. He said : and this is also so for the rest of the citadels of Syria.