Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-06
4 HUNDRED MILLION HUNGRY.
How the Mohammedans Observe
the Month Ramazan.
FAST BY DAY FEAST BY NIGHT.
The wondrous Beauty of the Mosque
of Santa sophia-piety OF the
Moslcms-A sure Cure
For Drunkenness.

1copwfohied 1ssg I'm Fronb q. Corpeu,

The COOK shops OF Stamboul are closed dur
Ing the day for lack of custom, and Of tho
half million Turkish men, women and chill
dren in this city not one eats anything from
sunrise to sunset They do not drink drop
of water, and the more devout will not even
swallow their spittle. The Turks are the
most invcterate smokers of the world, and
they like to titillate their nostrils with snuf
al ITO crafty them with perfumes. During
Ramazan they do not smoke during the day
time, and they entirely abstain from snuff
and the use of ottar of roses. This is not
only in Constantinople, but also over the
whole Mohammedan world. IL is o'clock p.
M. as ! write, and
HUNDRED MILLION MoHANNtEDAN's sToMACHs
scattered from the wids OF North China to
the tropical regions of Central Africa are
howling with hunger. One hundred million
7archcd tongues are now scrap.
ing against the dry roofs of one
hundred million months, aud doubt not
tfus something lIketwo hundred million eyes
are anxiously Watching the gong down of
the setting sun. The moment it drops be-
hind the west these millions will grab for the
food that has been prcplr ed for them, and
for the next hour or so the fasting will be
turned into feastng. The nights of Con-
st1ntnople are now nights of revelry The
Koran does not prohibit the Turk from eat
ing what he plcascs after sunset and the pcO
pie gorge themselves to make up for the fast
of the Jay. The city is lighted at night and
crowds throng the streets All the cafes and
eating houses are open and the lemonade
peddler and the sweet meat man are out in
all ther glory. The Turks are very hospit-
aLle and during Ramazan they give many
dinaer parties. Such as are wealthy enough
to do without work stay up the whole night
IN order that they may the better sleep
through tho fasting hours of the NOR
rev 1t is time for religious observ-
anc1s 40 well as pleasure. There are services
at all the mosques every evening, and all the
men go to prayers. The mosques are llumi-
mated and the hundreds of minarets which
rise high above the sombre city of Stamboul
are girdled with light, and between them are
stretched great figures of fire, made by
stringing countless lamps upon wires. Here
is one composed of gigantic letters forming
the Turkish word for God or "Allah.n There
is one representing a cannon a hundred feet
long and between the towers of another
mosque hangs mammoth star and crescent
of fire.
There are between two and three hundred
mosques IN Constantinople and the Ramazan
the stranger. / witnessed them in the
LARGEST MOSQUE OF THE WORLD
last night. This was the mosque of Santa
Sophia, which was built as Christian
church in the fourth century and
which was for ages the finest
Christian church in the world
1t took Il hundred architects TO superintend
its construction and 10000 masons worked
upon it at the same time. 1t had doors of
ivory, amber and cedar, and its altar was
made of precious stones embedded IN gold
nj silver. 1t was decorated with beautiful
paintings, which the Turks destroyed when
they took possession OF Constantinople, and
its roof has still enough mosaic TO carpet an
acre field. The great temples OF antiquity
have been robbed TO build this church.
Within it there are four pillars of green
granite, which were taken from the Temple
of Diana at Ephesus, ana there are other
columns from the temples of Thebes, Rome,
Athens and Alexandria. If YOU will take
tw0.acre field and plant within it forest of
columns, rooted with dome bigger and
grander than that of the capitol at
Washington, hang thousands of lamps
la the air between the dome and the
floor, scatter richly-carved pulpits about var
ious parts OF the building, put immense toun
tains here ana hang gigantic Turkish in
scrlptions there, You may have n mazGd idea
of how the Mosque of Santa Sophia looks
when entering. You will wander for hours
through tnC cOEfluOrS Oh ltS COlumnS, nlu-
ing
NEW BEAUTIES At EVERY STEP.
You will note that the great walls are
lined with precious marbles, ana that the
Cornices and the frlezes of the arches are of
gded bronze. AT night when the thousands
OF lamps are lighted, when great stars of
flame float in the air between the dome and
the floor, when every pillar and every alcove
is aba2e, and when the various galleries are
walled VITA flame, the wonder of the mosque
tuKnS n Urnnlpur which nIip1 In I hn
pcturesqueness of the worshippers them
se'r S, make Ralnazan night IN Santa So
phia one of the greatest sights in the world
BY the liberal use of backsheesh, accom-
panied by my Mohammednn guide, / OBJ
tanned admission to the gallery of Santa So
phia last night. 1t was o'clock when | ar.
rived and the acres of floor below me were
covered with worshipers. In long regular
lines, with their faces toward Mecca, sitting
on their knees, were at least 5000 Moham-
ritdans. In turbans and gowns with their
hare, or stocknged feet, looking up at the
gallery, they formed long lines of curious
color on the white mats away down there
under the floating flames. From the
back of the church came the shrill
voice of the Inman who was leading the
5avotions.. 1t was wonderful tenor
' nich penetrated the remotcst recesses of
3 the vast mosque and in response to which
these 5000 turbaned men rose and foil like
clock work in their devotions. They moved
as )ne man and when they sunk 10 their
knees the striking Of ten thousand legs upon
.he iiGor made noise like the rumbling of n
rs non in the distance and when they bowed
tf', heads to the floor the sound came
up as tAough ii had been made by the fall of
scmo great weight rather than by the touch
og 5,0OO heads In the front of each wor-
shipper was placed his shoes and at the close
-ttho services each Mohammadau took these
In hi" hands aud walked with them out of
the mosque.
Ihe Mohammedan prayers aud method of
praying is fixed by the koran and these i've
thousand men
All ArED IN THE SAME WAY.
j no. "a their actions from the beginning TO
tie end of each prayer. The person praying
must first remove his shoes aud sandals and
tuhn his face toward Mecca. He must bathe
his hands aud feet and certain other parts Of
his person before entering the mosque aud in
the court of this Mosque of Santa Sophia
there is large and beautiful fountain. En-
tering The mosque and standing IN the right
position the worshipper begins by putting his
hands 20 the lobes of his ears and lac then
holds them little below his grde. He
then goes through a NUMBER OF prostratiOns,
recting certain prayers from the koran as he
does so, III he is faithful Mohammedan
he pr"ys five times every day aud he does
not care for his surroundings. AT the hours
OF prayer Mohammedans will begin their
deyOtions Ia the midst of crowd They
will stay their business transactions aud
whether in the store or In the field they will
drop down on their knees and pray. ro-