The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-26

I money III MS own name. Inc UTSI 10 no 30 III
Africa was Obeidala. the founder Of the
| Fatimito Caliphate. who. in GIT. having con-
quered Egypt and Karouan. made the Christie
prince his tributary. This circumstance. and
| the fact that in 932 the Edrisite power at Fee
was completely overthrown and replaced by
the authority Of the omnyad Calphs Of Cor
| dova. disposes OF the statement that the en-
| pire OF Morocco remained until the end Of the
tenth century in the hands OF the descendants
| Of Edris. How proper 1t Ia TO speak Of the en-
pire OF Morocco" at this date may be inferred
from tho fact that the city Of that name was
not built until about hundred years after
ward. on the rise Of tho new dynasty Of the
Almoravldes. And apropos OF Fez. which. as
the author says. is laid out in tho form OF
the figure 8. the two loops being divided by the
| Pearl River. he ia utterly mistaken in sup
| posing that one loop represents the mod
ern and tho other the ancient town. From its
| foundation Fee was q dual city. each moiety
| having its own circular walls. it's own gates its
own principal mosque its own bazaar. One OF
those somi-detnched cities was known as the
| quarter Of Kairouan. the other as the quarter
Of Andalusia the colonists being drawn in
equal proportions from the subjects OF tho
Agabte princes in what we now call Tunis.
and from those Of the Ommyad Caiphs OF Cor
dova To this day one of the chief mosques in
Fcz is that Of El-Kairounn, and It is strange
that the name did not put the traveller on the
track Of the dual origin and twofold ground
| plan Of the Athens Of Africa. This enormous
mosque by the way, is ono Of the largest ecce-
siastical ediflces in the world. having room for
| 227O0 persons. and 1t is n pity that our Italian
tourist was not able to enter the building and
verify tho statements Of the Arabic historians
In regard to its interior splendor.
Let us now what impression was made
upon our traveller by tho present aspect Of
city which was at ono time a focus Of Arabic
luxury and learning. and which comprised u
population Of not less than 1000 souls Tho
first impression made upon you. we are told. is
that Of colossal city sunk into decrepitudc.
and slowly crumbng into dust. There are tall
houses which seem formed of buildings piled
one upon the other. all falling to pieces. how
| ever. cracked from roof to base and proppcd
up on every side. with no opening save some
| loophole in the shape Of cross. Long. dismal
stretches Of street 1anked by high. bare walls.
recalling the walls Of a fortress-strcets run
ning up hill and down. encountered with stones
and the ruins of falling buildings. twisting and
| turning. too. at every twenty or thirty PAGES
every now and then long covered pas
sage dark as a cellar. where you have to
feel your way-blind alleys. recesses, dens
filed with bones dead animals, and heaps Of
putrid matter-the whole stepped in a dim and
melancholy twilight. In some places tho
! ground is 90 broken. the dust so thick. the
smell so horrible the flies so numerous. that
you have to stop to take breath Here and
there you may hear the noise of a mill. muir
| muir Of water. the click of a weaver's loom.
chanting Of nasal voices. which you are told
come from a school OF children; but you see
nothing and no one anywhere.
By and by. however. you approach the
centre OF the city; people become numer-
GUS; the men stop TO let you pass and
stare astonished; the women turn back
or hide themselves; the children scream
and run; the large boys growl and shake
their fists at a distance mindful Of the soldiers
and their sticks. Now you come to one OF the
principal streets about six feet wide. and full
OF people who crowd about you. The soldiers
shout ana push and strike in vain. and at last
make n sort OF bulwark Of their bodies by form
ing circle around you and casping hands.
face outward. There are thousand eyes upon
you; you can scarcely breathe in the press and
heat and plod slowly on, stopping every mo-
ment to give passage to Moor on horseback.
| OF Il yelled lady on q camel. or an ass with n
load Of bleeding sleeps heads To the right
and left are thronged bazaars inn court
yards heaped with merchandise .oors Of
mosques through which you catcl Glimpses
Of arcades in perspective and figures pros
| trate in prayer. All along the streets leading
mosqueward there is for tho most part moth
ing to be seen but silent forms in white hoods.
moving like spectres. Now and then in the
heart Of the city you come on fountains richly
ornamented with mosaics arabesque doors.
arched courts. the few faded vestGes OF a once
sumptuous architecture. The air is impres-
mated with an acute and mingled odor OF aloes.
spices and incense. You seem to be walking
! in INN, shop
into the bazaar. and find that the shops. as in
Tangiels, are mere dens opened in the wall;
| you cross. josted by the crowd the cloth ba-
zaar that Of slippers, that Of earthenware. that
! Of metal ornaments. which altogether form
labyrinth OF alleys rooted with canes and
branches Of trees. Passing through a vegetable
market throngcd with women. who lift their
arms and scream curses at you. the traveller
comes out again into the centre OF the city.
There he has the same experience as before,
and finally gets out at a gate. and takes turn
outside the walls.
From the noighborng heights the eye takes in
the whole city-a myriad 81 white fiat rooted
houses. among which rise tall minarets orna-
mentcd with mosaics gigantic palm trees tufts
ofverdurc green domes, and castellatcd towers.
Near the gates and along the hills for great
distance the country is covered with monu-
ments and ruins. tombs. and houses of
saints, arches Of aqueducts. senulchrrs,
and foundations that seem like the
vcstiEcs Of huge suburbs levellcd by cannon
and dcvoured by flames. Between the wall and
the highest Of the two hills that flank the city
the intervening space is all one garden. u dense
and intricate grove of mulberry trees, Olives,
palms, fruit trees and tall poplars. rlothedwth
| ivy and grape vines little streams run through
it, fountain, gush and sparkle and canals in
| k,,,, h;,,h k,,
banks are crowned with alocs twice tho hegh,
Of n man. Along the walls nre great assures
and deep bitches filled with vegetation, rude
remains Of hastions and broken towcrs-a
grand and severe disorder ot ruin and green
cry. which recalls to the author the moro pic
turesque parts Of the walls Of Constantinople.
OF course the domestic life Of tho Fez people
WAS a scaled book 10 the italian tourist, with
The exception nj such glimpscs as he could oh
tain at formal receptions and the ccrnmonous
breakfasts and dinners to which the embassy
,I,o