The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-12-25
ENGLAND'S ISLAND.
Mr.. HEPwoRTH DIxoN's DESCRIPTION OF A
cyPRIAN CITY.
from the Manchester Examrer1

winning unutr MlnafetS ana PAINS, IN anu OUT,
among an endless series of fountains orange clnmps
and olive grounds. Only native Of the town can
ind his way from gate to mosque. from
coffee house to bazaar. An engineer whose
tents pitched outside the western gate-which
might be called King Richards gate--tels me
that he took whole fortnight learn his track from
the camp outside to the konsk inside the walls I'M
agine how the stranger of day must feel in such
maze! High walls enclose the streets high walls of
sundred brick. brown and forbiddng to the eye but
pierced by archways here and there. These openings
lead into yards and gardens having rude and far
away resemblance to the courts of Seville and Damas-
Gus. Here, in truth, you find no marble pavements,
but to make up for the loss Of art you have
more luxurant nature Palms hardly live in Seville,
and the pomegranate of Damascus pales before the
same fruit in Nicosia. Some Of the doors left
ajar, permitting feminine peeps at the new masters
of the place, as they dash past booted and helmeted
taking 20 notice of the dust and heat. Ncosia has
belonged to many lords in turn, and her
inhabitants have had to. look ON the faces of
many strangers, from the swarthy Persian to the
paliid Frank. Some feminine curiosity may DO
expected and forgiven Tho present case is new
or all their masters. Syrian, Greek, Egyptian, Persian
Macedonian Roman, Byzantine. English, Saracep
Venetian, Turk the English are the only masters who
have stayed away 700 years from the Nicotians and
then come back to them in greater strength than
ever. We are not people who have waned like
them aforetime they well aware since certain
villages on the way from Limasol to Nicosia bear
the stamp of English names. Our track
marked by deeds which have outved the memory Of
crusading kings, Venetian projects and Turkish
mutessarifs Names are longlved in cyprus, as in
every portion of the East At many OF the archways
in these walls stand Cypriote damses the watch.
venetians never came back. Crusaders never came
back. What these English like who came into
their country long ago, left here aud there
behind them and have returned to rule them
Frankish settlement FOR second time?
n
AS we approach the Moslcm women draw their
yashmaks round their faces. Even the Greeks
inside or hide their heads in their mothers laps in
order to escape the evil eye. But all moved,
and curious and excited BY your presence in
put to as You get near; not always. and in
truth. not often, for the natives Of both races,
and especially the Mosems, look on you as friends.
trickle Of water can be heard in every yard. while
dates and oranges rise above every wall. Arches
along three sides Of the enclosed space Under these
mule and OK. surprising that the owner has such
property as camel, mule and OK. Every family has
palm tree almost every has o garden, and not
few have water wheel. Above the arches live
the family the female members in quarter OF their
own, Men are content to lodge like shepherds near
their mules and cattle whio their wives and sisters
sleep in chambers looking the orange trees within
hearing of the water wheels. Women of all ages,
clothed in sea green pink and orange garments. sit
under the trees droning their native songs, while
their busy fingers draw and spin their native silk
ventas and balconies hang above the streets Turing
in every breath of air. The jalouses down. but
You made aware by echo Of whispered words and
sound of feminine laughter that the native critics
boots. hundred alleys winding under minarets
and palms, in and out, among an endless series OF
fountains, orange ciumps and olive grounds, make
s Sea- the labyrinth Of S'e0S' TINS Damascus q the
sUBDIvIDISG THE TOWN.
Yet, in a general way, Nicosia may be parted into
four distinct and equal quarters. each quarter with
character, history and perhaps future Of its own
Nicosia is a ring; the walls are round except
W hpr hv the for defence In
former days four gateways cut the walL-one. as
the ancients used to say, for each Of the four
south. One gate is now walled up-that of the
southern wind, looking out toward Mount olympus
pa th site s caea
conspicuous landmark to the eye Ten other bas-
tions guard and rivet up the wall. Between the
stand the two outworks Of Jel Dermen and
Kara Ismil, while between the minaret and
these works were built by the venetians, and
very strong when they were new; but time has
injured them, and Rawson's knowing eye observed a
weak point in SASH, which, in of need, he
would have led his bluejackets to tho assault In
that case lie would have stormed tho city through
the archbishops house and grounds! The eastern
gate which might be called Queen Victoria gate passes
under Altun bastion. Here the roads FROM Carpass.
Larnaca and Famagusts meet, .edsing the ruin
other bastons called Scjtinbi, Djerisli and Musaa
then the northern gate leading past the Ottoman
bastions those Of Cebhans zechra and Kaitas Asa)
the walls between the northern and the west
gates, finishing the ring. Let us halve and quar-
ter the space enclosed by these surrounding walls
and covered by these Venetian works.
WHERE THE OLD LORDS LIVED.
of the northwest corner) holds the government
Offices, the royal gate the chief khan, the cadi 3
house, hall OF justice. and the public hospital In
this quarter stood the crusaders palaces and bar
racks; the gateway lived the military COM
mandant; and from the tower above the gateway
streamed the royal nag. Here reigned those feuda-
lords of who owed their gelQnOry
Lion-Hcart, and held their kingdom ftef of the
English Crown Here, also. at . later period dwelt
the Venetian governors under the protection of their
marble columns one OF which still remains in evil
dence of their rule. Among those governors the
Moor who lent figure to the muse of Shakespeare
Later sti the Turk erected in this quarter his scra
his mosque his Khan his hall OF justice, his bazaar
These works were simple, like the man hinsclf for
while the Ottoman pitched his tents among the wreck
OF palaces and closters he remained stranger to all
Frnnkish arts. AT need he turned clostcrs
into hospitals, churches into granaries, but he
no more thought of either repairing initiating
such edifces than his pastoral brother of the syrian
desert thinks of repairing Petra or initiating Baabec
Such he was we in what lie has lett behind
linn from his days Of powcr-some gardens, coffee
houses. fountains. hospitals, mosques, bazaars and
shady walks shepherd in the past, he IL still a
vagcr Ia his tastes. a nomsd III his ways of life.
From its opcnncss and verdrrc. less than from its
public buildings and historical traditions, this part
Ncosia Is the natural quarter for the English rule
MEMoRIEs cRUsADEs
A nanaeless alley winds from Victoria Gate by Ali
Ecnd Khan, and eugiiig the Balik bazaar passes by
tho Dutjan mosque and fountain and under the win
dows of the latin convent to that western gate which
ought to bear King Richards name. This line. from
Queen Victoria gate tn King richards gate divides
tho city into two half spheres of equal sze. Each
hemisphere has features OF its own, the northern part
having more towers and mnarets the southern part
more cottages and closer streets. One part Is clean,
the other crowded. No section of Nicosia is free
from minarrts but a. rule the nameess lane di-
vdes the two existing and their rival crecds.
North OF that division stands the great mosque the
scrai, the hall OF Justice and tho bazaar; south
of IL the Archbshops palace, the two
churches OF Santa Maria and Santa Antonio,
the Levantne nlbergoes, the residences Of
Greek money lenders, the Triboti coisters.
the public bagnio and the Ala Zava school. These
two half spheres, Moslen and Christian. may be
halved again by winding road which. starting from
the northern gste passes the Scra crosses the horse
market, turns through the bazaar, ansl coming out
at the great mosque, passes by way OF the Greek
hamam, aud By an ugly curve comes out on Bairak-
dar the bastion OF the minaret These lines divide
tho circle into four equal parts.
TIE CATHEDRAL.
The second quarter chat OF tho northeast corner) Is
the most secluded garden like bit OF Nicosia. IL
hnlds the mnn architect urAl feature Of the town