New-York tribune., 1867-07-29
DAMASCUS.

tr,ruT
VIEW OF DAMASCUS FROM THE MlNAIEl- - |
"sTPrTT CALLED STRAIGHT HOUSE OF !
AEANIAs-PLACE OF sAULS CONN NEhslON'
From Our Special Correspondent ,,.,,,ec-e Arru 1877
remember in the south of Spain-Cordova'
7 tbirl,-,ye spent a day in a hotel surrounding
court in whose midst fountain tinked, gold hshes
flashed i'm the sun, canary birds sung III telI C"s''
and golden oranges glOwed in the trees Inc nOuS1
was the first we had inhabited that was entiI.S
Oriental in architecture OF that made Its
upon the mind. Away from Spain across 'Ho IL.
Mediterranean on the green border thst Hlns00 w
desert of Africa we found another dwelling hhe tue
first whose style the Spaniards had Dolo"c" HUni
tbe vanouished Moors. And here AGAIN III Asia-.Ii
80 Of Demet1ius the Greek, in the midst OF Da-
,,oscro is n continual reminder Of Egypt and SPAN.
Outside il is like all the other dwellings OF the
Damascenes-bult of dull mud brown bricks covered
with plaster which is whitewashed or pamted IN
stripes of red and white There is in the exterior oi
tbebuildings here neither "fOrm nor comelnesS Inc
low cate that leads from the street to the outer court
reouires an obesance from all except Children lhS
outer court serves the purpose Of front hall at hoe
and is paved with stone. a single orange Tree
stands in the center. stone seat runs around lhe
ous On which may be found loling local guides dra-
pomen. and muletcers, while beggaTs and ice
cream venders put their heads in at the low iron
door in the hone of a sale This outer court opens
into the inner of which have already spoken Al
its eastern end deep acOve, with the floor elevated
foot above the court payementS horseshoe aIch
,preads over its entrance and broad dlvans ana easy
chairs are about the sides while books ana games
for the travellers entertainment occupy inches Dul'
for them in the walls. The latter are painted IN ue
Oriental whites, reds, and azure seen eVer!"IelG
With an occasional effort at landscape near the II
NO of the galleries which extend around the upper
4boir
IN enjoy the slly above and the court below
Onr room is on the west and has at some tline Oeen
the grand saloon of the house ne eeH,fI + oo Oh R
level with the court, is paved with mmolS; mas lts
fountain of water dropping DAY ana hignli
has great chandeliers holding their crystal drops
above the crystal drops below; has walls tlI5y leCV
a. I;0bf and nainted in various devices of Hover
wreafbed columns and limitations OF uIapeIyi Inc
ce;iinC above is aiabes0ued in gilt on wood OF
deem brown hue, that makes one think OF me gOlpen
brcb leaves living on the brown earth OF OctODer;
and this is surrounded by borders OF mosaic Worh OF
different kinds of wood. Two alcQVes oIeh at I faCn
Side OF the hall separated from 1t by curtains; these
are covered with soft Turkish mattlngS, ana wac
5ivans with piles of cushions-Some Tor seats by uay
and upon them the beds are made at nght MnI4Is M 3
marble table an easy CHAIR, detp letteSeS lV4 'no
windows which are high and Wlde WIN lhe hoIso
shoe arch at the top, ana are Shaueu Oily "
Here we have been resting since Saturday after
noon, after spending more tIan SIX weeks III Lic sdu
die and in our tents. Weeks that did not give us
uninterrupted sunshine; some nights OF pouring RAM
some days of alternate shower and sun an eNpeIl,
meadows. of muddy, stony roads, Of damp ana mil
dew and general physical dlscOmt0rt haq mace
shelter more than ever longed Tor ana oesaple, anu
prepared us to appreciate this sunny Eastern home;
Damascus is the " heart of the Orient II that Oe
So then some Of the veins flowing to the OIleRt
heart have deeper tinees OF Eastern hueS Jhah the
heart itself Had one never seen Cairo Damascus
would seem intensely Eastern after Caro- u Is nara
and cold and regular The buildings OF Sauo arc arc
ancient dilapdated and decayed those OF Damascus
are in good repair better built and better kept; Dnt
one NAV see iii one ride from the Mouskl to the CIT
adel more varieties of ancient ana modern Olieht!d
architecture than in all the street called Straight; IN
the former city, lattices, balconies ana Jalousles
stuccO and te-work and arabesqGes houses tlat % aP
prOach nearer and nearer eaCh 0ther toward lhe '0p
ill kisses or whispers might he exchanged across lle
street; Quaintest OF gatewayS ana WINDOWS, towers
and minarets and domes. In Cairo one IS beWlldeICd
y the number OF changes that pass under hs eye IN
walk of half an hour. Damascus mas an lAese,
doubtless but no where blended in such picturesque
an o one color ana OF one g6neraT stJIe TAT
rooted and heavy, and, to external appearance,
merely mud huts on an enlarged and improved
This absence of street-archtecture or decoration
gives to the eye of Occidental, and especially 10
the eve of an American accustomed TO seeing
houses built with special view TO the showing of well
from the stTeet-an air of poverty and meanness
which stamps itself upon our impressions of the
place: Such an impression, however Is quickly dls-
pelled far Damascus Is concerned, WhenSwe get
once within the lnclOSlng walls oil the Httle court
The interior walls generally mOsacs, or paintings
In imitation of tlewOrk. Every court has its pave
ments and its fOunains-almOst every one Its flowers
and its trees The rooms are many OF them elegant,
the furniture wanting III many things that cOnsttute
our home comfort but in the richness and s0ttness
Of their tapestries, the luXuriant sweep Of their
draperY the sOfness of their cOuches and the bright
ness of their mirrors these Orentas are not to DO
surpassed.
There is no American Consul at Damascus, but a
Consular Agent as noble a s,sclmen Of venerable
Oriental as the whole Eastesk q world can furnish
have hay seen Abraham % ana Jah 5 and aa Daniel oyer oyer
sandals, eirdle, ink-hOn aTn all Not an unfair
model for the tiIst-named was Saahdeen the Consul
whose advanced years caused many of his duties to
devOlye upon his sons young men whose English
was perfect enough TO put to blush that of many a
man who can speak nothing else. To the charge Of
one of these we consigned for the excursions of
the daY as his presence would open for inspection
many places closed-even to the password Of Back
sheeshp We were not permitted TO depart without
seeing the ladies of the house, and accepting the in
variable Eastern hospitaties Attending the
eTable mother entered a young girl OF about j,
small and delicate in form and feature, and exceed
ingly pretty. Her black hair plated in broad
bralds that long enough TO reach the shoulders
about when The ends were LETT to tall IN soft tnges
Her wide Turkish trousers were of Tose-c0lOred silk
the sleeves of her embroidered Jacket fell away
loosely from white arm little jaunty Greek cap
surmounted the glossy brads the sken tassel reach
take her seat English fashion, with the mother ON
the divan. is sometimes done by way of courtesy
to the guest, but dropped Ia Turk on the cushions
near our feet. While we were saying to our
selves What a sweet child this is T" and wondering
whether she would ever develop the affections OF
young ladyhOOd. the old spoke of her the wife
of his son and said they had been married three
years. IL is not uncommon for marriages TO take
place in the East when the bride is only eight years
OF age The favoTite wife OF the Prophet MOhammed
was at the time OF his betrotha and he waited
for her but year, and took. meantime, one or two
Others az solace for his loneliness.
Cool sherbets, sweetmeats, coffee, and the amber
mOuthed naTghileh were brought the gOd-finged
napkin passed from hand TO hand and meantime
Saahd0en told rs we bad come to Damascus at an
inOppOrtune time Nowhere throughout the Turkish
dOminiOns he said is the intolerance and jealousy
Of the followers Of Mohammed toward the Christians
so violent as here and Just now they had been ex
cited by news of slight victory of the Cretans and
Greeks the Turks TO create apprehensOns of