The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-11-26
WOMEN OF CYPRUS.
THROWING OFF THE YOKE A ND CLAIM
ING INDEPENDENCE.

I am0S ussaJ OyPIOeB OC6UDcL A4'
Nicosia, the capital, is undoubtedly the
town containing a larger proportion
OF Turks than any other part of Cy-
prus. The Turkish women there are
certainly beautiful and are very M
meroue, ard although they were
obliged to conform to Moslem regula-
tions during the Turkish rule they
have kicked over the traces since the
British occupation. When Cyprus
was Turkish the women were Tarkish
in every respect. They hardly ever
went out, and then only to the
hamam, or bath, attended by old
women servants and eunuchs. their
faces covered with yasmaks so that
not even a Turk should see them, lar
more Christian. Whenever they
met man and before he could
approach them they would turn their
faces to the wall and pull their
feretzes, or gowns, tightly over their
heads, while the att nding servants
and eunuchs would call out to the
stranger to make haste and 90 bis
way 80 tina! their LADY" could pass
unmolested. They never appeared
at their doors. and their windows
were protected with wooden crossbars
30 close together that, although they
could see into the street, nobody
could see them. Now, however, all
is changed. Tbs Turkish woman,
knowing that she can no more be
punished by the religious authorities,
whose power ceased the day the Brit
ish troops first put foot in the island,
has openly thrown off the yoke and
claimed her independence, and with
vengenoe too. Turkish husbands,
fathers, brothers and friends are
frantic with despair at the turn affairs
have taken, and should Turk come
here from any other part of Islam he
would not believe his own eyes, for
this is the very first time and place
that "the thing" as the Faithful call
the woman, has dared to act in di
rect opposition to al that ia dear to
MahomeGans. Women belonging to
the hsrem can now be seen at all
hours of the day and night in the
streets and on the ramparts OF Nicosia
retaining their feretzes, but not COW
ering their faces with yasmaks-st
least the pretty ones do not-and an
officer friend OF mine has discovered
the way to find out in the distance if
a Turkish woman is good-looklng or
not. Ifshe is pretty she is sure to go
about with her face unveiled, but
should see know herself to be ugly
she is certain to have her face closely
wrapped up, leaving the Giaours to-
Judge OF her looks by the fire OF her
eyes which are always uncovered. and
as it IS next TO impossible to find q
Turkish woman without superb eyes
the uuinitiated will at first sight think
he has encountered houri. If,hoW-
ever, the bsrem beauties would con-
tent Themselves with simply walking
about with uncovered faces husbands
and brothers would not have much to
complain of, but unfortunately this
is not all. They talk to the Christians
and walk arm-in-arm with the Eng
lish officers, aud even with the SOL
diers. They give coffee parties to
which gentlemen only, and they
Giaours, are invited, and instead OF
receiving their visitors in the selamlik
part of the house, where all men
should be received, they receive them
in the harem quarters, and when
their husbands or other relatives
come home they are shocked with
what they hear and rush to the harem
to find the door closed against them
and to be told that they must have
made mistake in coming to the sa-
cred female entrance, and according
to Mussulman usages, which they 30
much love, their place is in tie
salamlik. | saw them sitting at the
caies smoking ard drinking raki!
actually drinking. Fancy drunkeL
Turkish woman! surely the world is
coming to an end and Mahome!'a
vile Ayesha must be turning in heI
coffin. Take seat, sir" says the
cafedgl, or proprietor. l stare at him
in dismsy and feel certain that | am
in dream and squeeze the arm of the
friend who accompanies NE, telling
him it must be dream. Dream
be blowed!" says he; ''Wait a min
ute"-Which he has hardly said
when a barrel organ starts up
"Orphee aux Enfers," and the
hanoums turkish Women) dance
actually dance-and not alone, but
with Tommy Atkins, and Tommy
Atkins of the lowest type. They un-
derstsnd the music, they know the
dance, but what 10 this? The cancanI
Is this the Mabille, abolished in Paris
to be transrlanted in Cyprus? By
Allah! but this verify cannot be true.
But say what will and think what
may, there they we're, and there.
understood. they can be seen at any
time. Every Turkish woman in the
island is suing for q divorce, which
the husbands are Only too glad to
grant, and if the Turks themselves
ever expect to get wives or a harem
again they are very much mistaken,
unless they search for them among
the Christian population.
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