Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-04-19
HOW THE TURKS ARE BURIED.

HOW II T. i hhS AM, bo hlED.
When Moslem dies writes a Constauti.
nople correspondent if lie is rich enough,
bis family buysa coffin. In this he is placed,
and in it be lies in state until the time OF
his burial is at hand Sometimes he is car
red into the mosque and SO to the grave
itself-but never any farther. Before lower
ing into the ground, the corpse is taken out
and wrapped in cloth, while the. coffin is
given as a present to some mosque. Her e
it is kept in stock, and let out for a small
sum to families who cannot afford to buy
coffins for their dead, but feel it incumbent
to keep up the dignity of the occasion.
For the very poor, those who look to use
rather than style, there hang in the inner
courts of the mosques series Of boards
shaped like coifiu-lids, and, like ready-made
clothes, graded in size from infant TO adult
makes. These are free to all, and the rela
tives come and measure and decide, take
away board, bury their dead on it, and
then return it to its nail on the wall Of the
mosque. Aud there is little time in Con-
stantnople that all these methods are not iu
demand Aside from seasons Of cholera and
plague, when the people daily die by thons-
ands, the regular death-rate Of CONSTANT
nople is au appalling one. Bad drainage,
filth, poor food and personal sovenliness
keep the returns always full.
The Turks commonly select hill as the
site of graveyard. The drainage is better,
and then, too, the opportunity remains for
getting his headstone a little higher than
that of his neighbor, which is as dear to the
Moslem as to his more Christian brother.
Nothing in the way Of expense is spared in
nj
them are narvels of curious workmanship.
They are all Of one shape-a slab formed
like coffin, lid, with the big end up, sur
mounted with q neck and head of stone,
around which is wound turbau. The cui
and arrangement of the turban varies az
cordiug to the rank of the former wearer,
aud is painted red blue, black or yellow,
according to his social station in life. The
adornment OF the face of the slab is open to
the widest flights of barbaric fancy. Near
ly all bear flowers gilded or painted upon
them, the favorites being the water lily and
the rose. Closely pushing them, however,
is q nondescript floral effort, more credi'a.
BILE to their heraldic art than 10 their botan-
ical knowledge. Between the flowers are
sandwiched nice, closely printed epitaphs
in gilt, that read up and down like in
scriptions on teabox, descriptive Of
the virtues OF the departed as discover
ed by his bereaved ones after death.
The Turks are very much afraid Of dying them
selves and never like to think of death in any
way Asa consequence they appear peculiarly
heartless about their funerals. The body, in Il
coffin or on board, as the case may be- is covered
with yellow cloth and laid in a litter. Then
four brawny Turks lift up the corners aud set OIL
as fast rs they 20 to the mosque, and friends
follow as best they Nobody makes way for
the procession in the crowded streets, and it often
| goes hard with the bearers to dodge in and out
| among the horses and carriages. In front of the
mosques are santing stones, on which the bodies
| are rested white the priests and mourners 20 i'll
| to pray This finished, the march is resumed
until the grave is reached. All but the mourners
laugh and gossip and poke fun at the bearers for
| their awkwardness in lowering the corpse. One
| of the latter jumps into the grave and arranges
| the body, and when he has scrambled out the dig
| gers begin filling in the dirt, and the party goes
| away There is no further show of sentiment,
and after the erection of headstone little care
| is there whether the worms or the dogs lunch on
| the departed.
| Being fatalists, they know he i. either in tor
| ment or in glory and while certain that the same
| fate must come to them in time they don't want
| to be bothered with the thought before it comes,
and so eudeavor to forget tho dead and death as
| quickly and completely possible.