The Hazlehurst signal., 1884-03-13
Turkish Funerals.

many OF them very large ones at that
hut nowhere does the rcStcnt seem pro-
portiona,e TO the dcath-ratc. Florcnco
brgs the question by adopting the t,ne.
mcnt plan. making the graves deep anu
Durying three people. one above anoth-
cr. in each grave. At Venice the sta
kindly wipes out the score occasionally
ON the Lido ground, and other cities
have various eNpeien,s by which. while
new graves are aided In one direction.
the old grounds are corrcspondingly alb
sorbcd for other purposes, 80 that n
balance OF size Is continually struck.
and there is no sign oi increase. There
i no such fault. however. about Con-
siantinople. The most extrivagant
grumblcr could not take issue with the
amount of grave room there. There arc
grayeyarls in the city and griycyarls
bcvonl the walls. Tho stones make
saw-te,th everywhere upon the hill
tops aud crop ,ip in sprawlins planta.
tiOns in the valleys. The city haSgrown
over the more ancient cemeteries and
very often one siumblcs on the stumps
oi the old monuments cropping up
through the coSblc' in public streets.
These old graycyardS arc of no par
ticular use now. but vet in way they
have "A commercial value. Whom n man
buys one Ol them all the graves and
bOnri and monuments pass with the
other fixtures. and ii is considered u
poor speculation il the purchaser does
not get stone enough to corner his lot
and pave hi, walks with. There are
/ III
10 build front wall all across the lot,
hut this is an extra bargain, AMI not 10
bc depended ON. The prc,cn, swell
Cravcyarls mo lcrG on s lie for
the most part in old STEAMBOAT. along
the Golden Horn. This. oi course. does
no, include the tomb' of the Nultans. \
Sultan l. Of such uncommon clay that
he can't be mixed with heterogeneous
material even after death; and so, be-
fore he dies. he builds for himself
mau>olcum that shall cover his bones,
and his only. when lac is dead. lie
buids il oi marble. ~ big aS Il church.
aud putting il wherever his fancy list
eth. he olnlmcnt' AMI adOrnS il nc.
cor,linr d his taste. INSIDE il i gildcd
AMI dom ii aud has magnificent tcS,cl-
lated paycmcntS. Thc bier stands in
the center, and around the room II
pllced sort Ol Sawbucl. painted
black. on which the korans can be- rest
ct. Here they put TIE sultan when he
dee. covering him with a gorgeous
c,o,h of black and yellow velvet, and
at hiS head erect Il pole. with his tur-
ban wound around il. Then he is shut
up tigat AMI let a'onc for year or
two, I'LL he becomes again appruacha-
blc. when. having canoniLcd him rs u
saint. the priests take possession of his
tomb and open it TO the public rs u
sort Of mosque.
Onc ihins. however. done by the Sui
tans in connection with the maus lc-
nm, is q. real practical worth. ~ reg
ular intervals around their outside walls
free fountains arr opcncl for the benefit
oi the poor. Priests arc always on the
spot 10 give the water 10 any one who
asks. and the boon i one oi incalcula-
| blr brncli; To the natives; for In hot
| weather the well water in the city is
malar.ouS AMI unwholc omc. Good,
sweet water i, brought long distances
in pipes anl is 20 ostly that If IL were
| not Tor these fountains il would Ie en-
| tircly ont of the reach of the poor.
The forks commonly select n hill rs
a Ste for II graveyard. The drainage
| i better. and then, to,, an opportunity
rrmains for scitingonc's hcadS,onc a lit
ilc higher than that of h ncighhor,
which i IL dear To the Mpslcm rs to
his more Christ an brother. Nothing
/ in the WAY al expense is spared in
! erecting these monuments, and many of
them ar maVc!S of curious. workman
shin. They are all OF onS shapc-a
slab formed like u coiiin.lid. with the
big end up, surrounded by neck aud
| heal Of stone. around which Is wound
/ Il turhan. The cut and arrangement of
the tur an varies according To the rank
/ uf the former wrarcr. and j. painted
rel. blu'. black or yellow. according To
| lis sOrial stat on in life. Tho alorn-
mcnt Cf the face Of the slab is open to
/ the widest hight. of barbaric fancy.
| Nearl, all bear flowers gillcd or paint
IA upon them. the favoritcs being the
water lily and the rose. Closely push
| ing them, however. |, a nondescrpi
| floral effort, more crcdilable To their
| hcraldic art than To their botanical
| knowledge. Between the flowers are
sandwi he'd nice "loscly-printrd epi-
taphs in gilt, that read up and down and
/ look like the incript Ons on II tea-boN,
descriptive of the virtues Of the depart.
oil ~ discovered by his b,reavcd ones
after death.
But only tho graves OF the men have
| tomb,tones. The Turks look ON an cpl.
/ taph ~ In some manner u card of in
PRODUCTION t. the neither world and
MoSlcm women not being granted any
souls, they feel that IL would In u way
he ''playing it, on the recording angel
| To call his attention with monumental
documents where testimonials could be
| Of no possible use; sOrtsOf tempting
him. n ii were, t0 pass in sOal on
forged credentials. Still there is no law
against woman having tombstone IL
she can get one, and women being
women in Turkey rs elsewhere. many
| of the richer class while in lie provide
monuments for themselves that vie with
those Of the men in beauty and magniii-
ccnce. The largest mausoleum In Con-
slant nople Is the one built by .hc
mother of the present sultan for her
convenience after death. 1t Is Of
yariegatc,. marble and in imposing
richness rival. the far-!amed tomb OF
Soliman the Magnificent. The Turkish
method Of grave.making is borrowed
from tina, In use among the cary Greek
colonists on the peninsula. These were
accustomed to dig pit from four TO
live Zee, deep. in which the uncoilincd
body was laid. Quicklim, was then
thrown in and without filling. a heavy
slab of stone pierced with square
ventilation holes was laid on the open
grave. For year lights were con,in.
uslly kept burning at the head and
foot. AT the end Of this time the stone
was raised and the flesh of the corpse
carefully stripped from the bones.
which were returned to the grave and
permanently covered with earth.
II at this time the flesh did not part
company easily with the bones II was
judged that the man was accursod and
In torment for his sins. from which
state he was only to be rescued by lib
n n