The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1876-03-09
ALKBAR,s &c
! Desoription Of q ~ Rayars =


II the fort overlooking lie Jumaa I. ~
monarch's palace, still ina tolersI,l, wv, ~
i preservation. Without S''.sI
pIan it would be difficult % d.: - i,
detail its many courts, Il, sepsr.t. N
H buildings and its detached n., .,,lt.
which combine to form a Iab,.s.,et, i
IAN Of dazzling architectural efIsa,s ti,st
i impossible to KEEP the ~ an
Altering the outer court | Wa 4 onoa
minded of the Alhambfa I'll. S1ors
y same Moorish ardes, VIA tbeir
tosring bases Of open figree work resi-.
n on slender double shaftg-a stvle q
| Lat, airy and beautifuithat I ssemed
fibnly for a palace Of firies. Alkbar,s
mace is far more compile than the Al
halbra. No part has leen utterly de-
strqed, and the marks q injury bv time
and battle are comparatively slight.
Hera Cannon-ball has burst is wav
throgh the marble screen Of tbe sui
tan'pavilion. Thefounains aredrv, the
polised tank in the "Bah Of Mirrors"
is emty, the halls are lhtenanted-but
this iall. No chamber,no window or
stalrce is wanting, and We are able to
le-peole the palace witHthe household
of thereat emperor, and to leave out
the day routine of his dlties and pleas
ures,
The Instructions Of tie palace are of
old sandstone, but nearly the whole of
its corrlors, chambers AM pavflions are
of whitmarble, wrought with the most
exquisit elaboration of onament. The
pavilion overhanging til river are in
laid with and without in the rich
style ofFlOrentine mosic. There are
precious askets of marble glittering all
over withjasper, agate, crnelian blood
stone anotopped with GOLDEN domes.
Ballustraes of marble WDught in open
patterns osuch rich desgn that they
resemble fnges of Lace wien seen from
below, exlnd along til edges. The
Jumna wases. the walls sventy feet be-
low and fro the balconis attached to
the aenan,d 4 woman's apartments there
are beautifuyiews of tht gardens and
palm groveSn the oppose bank. And
that wonde of India, tb Tag, shining
like ivory an crystal, abOtt mile down
the stream. he most curiuspart of this
palace is the9alace of Glas, which is an
oriental baththe chamber and passages
whereof are lOrned withthousands of
small mirrors disposed in he most intri.
cate designs. The water Ills in broad
sheet into theinarbIe poolover brilliant
lamps, and til fountains are 50 con-
structed as tqbe lghtedfrom within.
Mimic cascadeS tumble fem the walls
over slabs of stined marie, into basins
SO curiously Gated that tie motion of
the water prodlces the opearance of
fish. Though tie buildin. il an incrus-
tatiOn ofgold, mable and pcious stones,
water is still it most bautiful orna-
ment. Within i iese fancypreCincts lay
the gardens, still byerrun 9Th roses and
jasmine vines, id the miBt of which
fountains are playing. Tire is also a
court paved with white ad black mar
BILE so as to form apqchisi hard.
On an open spacs in frotof the Di-
Voan e KRaa, where Alkbasat on great
occasions, is his tn zone, a lab of black
marble, about six feet SCARE. 1t is
cracked entirely through. Opposite the
throne is a smaller one of hite marble,
where, if tradition may beelied on, the
emperOr's fool, or jester, toS bis seat and
burlesqued his master. bfOre leaving
the fort | visited the Moe lf,s&ied or
Pearl Masque, as it is politically and
Justly termed, 1t is, in trth the pearl
of all mosques, of small dnensions, but
absolutely perfect in styltand proper
tions. 1t is lifted on 10y sandstone
platform, and from withou nothing can
be seen but its three does Of white
marble with their gilded siIss. In all
distant views Of the fort u aomes aare
seen like silyery bubbles which have
rested a moment on its was end which
the next breeze will SWEEP away. As
cending a long flight Of aPs, heavy
door was opened for me, az stood in
the courtyard Of the mque. Here
nothing was to be seen b the quad
IoVtr.ln ,e 4l&Nn vtNNsar.s-.