The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-09
-rmE MOSQUES or corsTAsrlrorLr.
The Mosques 0f suIeIman ANA nata1st.
10. w, Htoddard's letter 10 The San Frsnciscc
Chtputoje1

10. w. Etoddard's letter to The Han Ffsnclscc
Ohfoniolesl
There are mosques In STEAMBOAT that rival
sc. Sophia In magnitude and stlendor The
Mosque 81 suieinan ID considered one Of The
most glorious monuments of Osinanli afclii-
lecture. The court facing The entrance Ii slii-
rounded on three sides with colonades, which
afs soye ,tn w ,, tMentdsr r es ,,sr
the court; the ininarets spring from the four
corners Of an outer court The effect Ii tefy
striking and elegant. Attached to this
mosque are numerous. endvwtnenls three
schools four academies for tile four sects pf
the faithful, and another for the reading oh
tile Koran. school Of medicine, Il Kitchen for
the poor, q resting place for travellers, a
library, fountain, q house. OF refuge for
Imperial mosques are as richly endowed;
MDhaninedan charity begins OF tnosuue, and
all good Mussultnans are very nitict, m
home In their houses III prayer. The
Fourteen. great mosques are built upon
se 5 s ss 900 ie ana a lp0ss soss sae o.
the entrance side by b fofeeuttt, and In The
rear by q garden or cemetery. BESIDES these
imperial mosques there are about two htiia
drsl others; built by individuals Of inferior
some q ,wdIeh are chiefly ffeguehted by wo.
men The Doves Mosque. or the Mosque Of
Baiazet H., In STEAMBOAT, has for me d
special charm The building was com
plsbeM III isub; IH8 court Is exceedingly
beautiful. Yuti enter by gates deliberately
decorated hi atabesqtie the cloistef that
surrounds the court is enclosed by n
range of commons Of potphyry and verde
antique with capital of white marble urna-
tiiented III atabHsqlie. In tile eentt~ of the
COURT is q marble fountain under d tsatlt,fy.
and sheltered by q cluster OF flne trees As
YOU enter tile court, you hear the roar OF
wings and for moment The dir
ls darkened with Che sudden flight
~ inyfia.is Of doves these birds
the offspring Of a pair purthashed from
q poor woman by Sultan Bajazet, and pre-
scented 10 the mosque are as sacred as was
the Idols fold. A grave and reverend fellow |
with d huge ttifbafi, sits Under The clbistef
and sells grain ID the faithful and The tickle
Jhe former feed the doves for charity. the |
latter for fun. While the fountain ls knee-tleep
with swafining birds and the trees eIogged |
with them, and all the caves OF the cloister /
lined, and even the high galleries OF the sfen- |
der nlnai'sts not invisted by these feabhered |
Jervishes, you throw d handful 0f wheat Into |
The court, and, like thunder cloud. the
whole tribe sw0ops upon YOU with d rush and
bhe roar OF a storm. They crowd one anoth-
II. and heap themselves together, and stand |
III their heads In their eagefness TO get |
nUrsel Ut grain. In a moment some one en-
5erH the court, and the birds take Hight, stir
ling the wind In the elplster and filling the
LII with soft, floating Down Il almost envy
he placid pleasure that the granger In The
urban takes for his way Is tsasy and his burr
len light, and those doves are such delightful |
ibalita1itipa 4e45g5l Fs8B -