The New York herald., 1870-08-14
Two Representative Interior Cities
Diarbekir and Aleppo.
Oriental Government and Oriental
Manners and Customs.
The Coming Era Of Progress
and Civilization.
FL O 2 = FOR EUR x Ex.

extremity of that famed Plain Of Shnar upon whose
tleeess downs much OF the earlier history OF the
human race was enacted, ana IL Stands upon tie
western bank Of the river Tlgris, which even at this
pont. though it has only just emerged from the
mountains is mighty river. 1t is one OF The Oldest
cities IN the world, dating back far beyond the
mencement of the Christian era, fact which may,
perhaps, somewhat explain the present stiffness OF
ns corporate life and the difficulty experienced in
making IL centre OF industrial activity. One might
easily I'll voiumes IN recounting its history. Per-
SANS, Romans Turks, Armcnians have in turn been
Is temporary masters and 1t has enjoyed the dis
hhc'on Of being pundcred by Zenghis Khan Tam
and each OF the other minor scourges
OF God' who have overrnn Western and Central
ASIA. No wonder that the Old CITY, having lived out
no eyentlul life and having passed through
many vicissltudes, should feel inclined TO slumber
away the remainder offs days in peaceful repose.
A MAGNIFICENT SCENE.
have come here at the close OF the winter,
and would advise all travellers In Asiatic Tur-
key to choose the of the year for their
journey. For few scenes IN the wide world can com
pare in grandeur with the first gets OF the
noble old city It STANDS surrounded three, one
might almost say on four Sides by the mountains,
draped down to their base In winter vestments or
spotess snow. Coming from the south, crawling
along at snail's pace horseback, the only means
OF travelling in the country, had been for days IN
view Of these same mountains. Pressing steadily
forward in the teeth OF biting northery wlnds-at
SUNRISE at noon at sunset our faces had been con-
stantly turned to their shining summits which every
hour seemed to rise higher and higher above the hor
zon And at length one gloomy, cloudy afternoon,
when we had already crept up so close to the head
OF the plain that on right and left well as in
'front.' our view was bounded by snowcla1 ranges,
the city itself came within ken- still far off and
lndistnct, standing on u swell Of the river bank,
envroned by stately walls OF q deep reddish brown
hue with bastions and occasional towers. Here and
there we could dmiy discern mnaret or the cupoa
of mosque sprnging INTO the air above the level OF
the walls. And apparently on every side the noun
tains, soemnly still, ghostiy white, closed silently
round the city, forming rampant OF defence that
Knocked the pigmy efforts of It's Inhabitants TO
secure 1t from aggression. Just as the city came
within our vew too, fortunate break IN the sky lit
up the scene with few rays of sunshine which
flashed upon the snOw-cad peaks and then glanced
back upon the plain, still brilliant and smiling but
chilled and untender. Such Is DIarbekir in winter
or early spring, Would 1t not make grand picture
In the hands of a Bierstadt or q Churcng
GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE CITY.
Inside, the city is not very picturesque pleasing
The streets are narrow, dirty uneven crook ed and
slippery, and, with the exception OF the bazaars,
have very dreary aspect. This is, however the
case in all M0slem cities. A Mussulman In strctest
fact desires his house to be his castle, guarded not
only from the awless feet of thieves and gallants,
but even from their prylng eyes. He therefore con-
tents himself with street facade Of a PLAN, un-
adorned brick stone wall, pierced by few square
holes carefully barred, but unglazea, which serve
for windows. To walk between these blank walls,
as may be supposed, IS not very cheering But It
has occasionally happened TO me, 1t has perhaps
also to other travellers to be rewarded for prone
made with smile from the unveiled face
OF some fair Moslem matron, evidently only un-
happy In the thought that she was unable
10 commit greater imprudence. The bazars how
ever. sufficiently lively, though one looks in
vain for the rich stuns and handsome weapons and
costly ewelrJ which are displayed for sale in Bag
dad or AleppO or Damascus The people Of Dlar-
bekr evidently too poor to indulge in expensive
vanlies. KibOb shops and coffee houses seem the
most common forms of business. Then come
stores for the sale OF bread barley cheap dry goods
tobacco and cooking utensils, and there are, per-
haps, half dOzen'drug stores; most OF these latter
by the way, wonderful to relate with glass window
fronts. 1t is easy to believe as have been told,
OF. There are no European merchants here now as
the last one left about three years ago, and the
capital to do anything. | have been told by an
Armenian gentleman, who intimately knows this
part of the country, that there is no merchant in
Darbekir who has capital exceeding SIC, 900.
THE PEOPLE.
The people OF Dabekir strike one very forclbly
by the contrast they display to the people lower
down the plain. Most OF them Koords 1t Is
trne, there Is no avOwed distinction OF race, but
The Koords of Darbekir, it is evident, nave never
mingled their blood with the darker-skinned Arab
or Chaldean, for they are still an compleXiOned
and ruddy-checked as when they first descended
from their original mountain home. Next to the
koords In numbers are the Armenians, who are, OF
course, Enthusiastically white the Caucasian.
So that with the exception OF sprinklng OF Turks
m American finds himser here again among
people OF his own color. The general dress Of the
people of Diarbeklr IS very pictnresque-a short
braid, loose pantalOOns and low shoes-tie usual
dress or fur OF the Asatic mOuntaineer Many Of the
Armenians. however, have long c0aks, which at
the present season are lined with lambs wool fur
rnwd rne general s@,no. appearance app Of Diarbekr
numerary Polish and Russian peasants that figure
occasionally on the American stage SO similar are
me costumes. Walking through the streets you
may imagine dozen times that the enraged
baron is just about to step out from some gloomy
mansion and horrlly the crowd by announcing that
wild horse OF the Ukraine and abandoned to the
attentions OF the vntures. And just outside the
CITY, too, there are numbers Of this variety of car.
xlOn birds to heighten the illusion.
THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WALLS
strange 10 say, taere are & no public buildings at
specially associated with past events. Nor are there
even any buildings at all OF any special architectural
Importance. The Serai IS a Oerably fine building:
but dilapidated that the Pacha has Just erected
another OUTSIDE the the city walls The grand
mosque is also worthy Of visit but is simply COW
OF the usual MOsem model, and has no special fea.
lures meritng notice. Some OF the arabesque orna-
mentatOn the door Is eXqnisitely beautiful; but
there Is much finer work OF the same description at
AeppO. The walls of DiarDekir in fact the only
remains OF antiquity which deserve careful investi-
CATION. How old they are cannot be exactly deter
mined, but they were probably erected under the
Romans. They about couple OF miles in cir.
cumference and forty feet high IL Is possible TO
walk all round the top OF them, and the promenade
Will give one good idea Of the labor aud expense
involved in their construction. Bastions break the
mOnotopy OF the walls at regular intervals and
there Is a large tower at each corner of the four
sides, with occasional smaller ones. The material
employed Is stone, hewn into square blocks OF about
couple Of cubic feet In size. The color of the stone
as nave before stated, is q dark brownish red.
ADMINISTRATION.
With population or lorty thousand Inhabitants
situated upon fertile plain, with abundant water
power, and great mineral riches in the mountains
near by 1t seems strange at the first blush that
Diarbeklr should be In SO miserable state of de-
cadence Every year it becomes poorer and poorer: