Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1860-12-06
Damascus.

Damascus is tho largest, most pOpul3us, AMI
most splendid city i'll Turki'h ASIA. Founded,
according to tradition, by great grandson Of
Noah, and in all probability justly claiming an
origin as ancient, its name is derived from the
old Hebrew g Danmcsob. = 1t was city oil
note in the age of Abraham, and from tEat day
to this It has been great ard louriahHg. ltsrn.
lers have been Of many races, and tho Term oi
government very varied. Sometimes it has been
they royal city Of king or culiph, and sometimes
it has sunk to the position ofrroyincial capital
After its capture by Tiglath Pi!cscr, the As3y-
rian, it was possessed by Pharaoh Necho; then
by Ncbuchadnezzar and then fell under Per
sian sway. After this The Greek, Roman, and
Byzantine, the Arab ard tho Turk, held i. in
turns for centuries; but under all these success
Siyo chanses.of dynasty, and "hcathcr ruled by
II native prince, or an alino conQucror, it has
never fallen IRON its high rank, or ce'sal to bs
prosperous, populons, and wealthy
so much for the Damascus Of the past But
tho great souroa other beauty and her pride in
all ages still remains to her ard y SPLENDID
hcritagoar those luxurant gardens which still
cn!oi her, ard those clear cold, da8hiug streams
that bless them with fertility. These gardens
arc not the trim, well-bopt Enclosures, CT limit
ed extent to which We give that name, bat are
forests of fruit trees, apricot and almond, wall
nut, olive, fig and pomegranate, beneath whose
shade, vegetable and corn-crops are cultivated,
or ros:5, jasmine and other flowers, run wild
in tangled thickets, whilst here and there the
palm, popular, or cypress, tower skywards, and
break the monotonous outline Of the less anlbit-
ious woods, The queen, however, Of these for
Ost-gardens, is the apricot, and famous through.
out thc Eastern " orld is tho " mishmish " of
Damascus, and great riches it brings her, Its.
fruit is dainty, small, and white, except when
bold sunbeam haS stolen through the lcafy let
tice, and has loft burning crimson blush upon
each cheek his ferysd kiss has touched.
There are but few striking relics of antqu-
ity in Damascus. 4 very handsome triumphal
arch and some great columns in the precincts Of,
the great mosque, and portal, and part Of itsI
wall, ore probably Of Roman date, not older.
The most splendid edifoe,lby far, that the city
can now boast, is this great mosque Of tho ON
midena. 1t occuEas the site Of the Cathedral
of St. John, whi ngain was preceded by al
magnificent temp the same ground; 80 that
it \ most likely from the earliest ages the
spot, and the 80 elected Rinnon, and was
himself dispossessed( by st. John the Baptist
Then, when the Arabs wore victorious, hnlf the
cathedral was given up to them, and half still
guaranteed by treaty to the Christians, but ere
many years elapsed tho whole bulldog was tax
en- from them by the CAlph Valid, who LAVISH
ed immense sums on adornment The arches
were wroathed with gold vines the inches inlaid
with jewels, and from the roof hundreds of gold
EN- lamps were suspended by golden chains,
The gold gems departed long ago, but the mar
bic teaselated payemanis, and tina marble colon
AIDES surrounding its vast courts, still remain
One OF its three mlnarets was accidentally burnt
during tie Tartar con1agratlon md afterwards
rebuilt. Another, The " Minarot ot jesus" is
$40 tc.t high Close TO this mosqae ;s the
tomb Of The renowned SAlaiin. No Christian
foot dare. t. enter The maugolanm Of their dead.
hest but acst ehiYalrous loa.
The taMars Of Damasoao are Of Immense extent