The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-05
THE DAMASCUS OF TO-DAY.
Some Interesting Sights In the
Most Ancient City Of the
World.
Where Life Moves on the Same
az It Did Centuries
Ago.
And the Scenes Arc Those Made Familiar
b. tho Stories In the Arabian
Nights.

'Damnscus at present has but little to
interest the traveller in the Orient, it's plnces
of fame having long since fallen before the
Mohammedan rulers"
The above words arrested my attention
the other day while reading an eastern
paper, says n writer in the Kansas City
Times, and to mo they seemed utterly de-
void OF truth or reason. Certainly the per-
son who wrote them has never looked down
upon the beautiful Syrian plain that holds
Damascus in its grasp OF 10000 flower gar
dens,S' or seen its countless minarets glisten
in the evening sun, standing on the slope of
the western hill near one of the many caves
of the ''eeyen sleepers." It's claim of being
the Oldest city in the world has good foun-
dalton, for among the many wonderful
stories told in Egyptian figures on the
gigantic pillars at Karnak, near Thebes, ia
one to the effect chat Damascus, or Esh
Sham, as it was called by the ancients, was
captured by one of the Phaiaohs nearly
1900 years ago. 1t was Thotmes III. who
captured the city at that early day. When
at Karnak Two years ago Prof. Hill, a wide
ly known Psychologist. pointed out to me
these very words and said then that he was
willing to admit that Damascus was at
least one of the oldest cities in the world,
and that no intended seeing it before he
died. His wish, however, was never graft
fed, as he died in Cairo last year. In April
laet / spent several days in roaming about
Damascus. Not in the way Cook tourists
are led about, spending two days in seeing
what should take Ms many weeks. IL one
really wants to see and know inteiligently
.I-.z At,n o;cI,to aud vuOn1ora nf n CIfv
that was mentioned as far back as the book
Of Genesis. The best guide book to Dam
ascus is the Bible, and then one can read
the arabian Nights and appreciate those
charming stories better than anywhere else,
save, perhaps, Bagdad.
Damaceans hold everything connected
with their city in great reverence and in
their old Khans, baZaars, crooked streets,
and interesting native quarters there is ever
flowing a stream of bright oriental life that
moves on the same as 1000, perhaps sou
wears old. 1t matters little whether walk
ing through the 'street called Straight"
and which. by the way, is not straight, or
day-dreaming under the olive or plum trees
Just outside the gate of paradise, the same
u%nfiaQging interest attaches to every foot
ing we went through the Thomas gate to
the spot pointed out as the exact place
where the wonderful vision appeared to
Paul, ard then walked around to Gods
gate,'' where was witnessed the reception by
his family of a young man who mad re-
turned that morning On barefoot from u
pilgrimage to Mecca. Each year the
largest caravan in Turkey starts from Da.
mascus for Mecca, and the scenes witnessed
upon the return of the pilgrims are most
interesting. This Sunday morning the
young man WIS met by his brothers and
corted by men on camels and wild fanati-
cal looking Moslems careerinR about on
beautiful Arabian horses to his home with
in the walls. We saw the traditional lamb
slaughtered on the doorstep OF the house,
while his sisters danced merrliy about the
bashful boy, holding in their hands above
their heads clean linen and new clothes.
with which the young pilgrim bedecked
himself, and later in the day received all
his friends, and still later he was escorted
to the great mosque of Damascus, where
the fanatical MOslems were seen at their
regular daily devotions.
This great mosque was once a Christian
place of worship, being the only basilica
left in Damascus of the Roman construc-
ton. Climbing to the top OF the famous
minaret called here even to-day the Tower
of Jesus, a magnificent panorama is spread
out at ones foot. Local tradition tells you
that at the last great day all mankind is to
be Judged from this minaret. Famous for
hundreds of years, the three beautiful min
arets of this mosques have served as models
for maDy overs throughout the WOrlu. one
of the best known being the belfry Of st.
Marks in Venice. Not 100 yards distant
from the morque are three beautiful marble
columns and a portion of an old arch, all
that remains above ground OF Damascus OF
that Roman supremacy that once ruled the
world.
Surrounding Damascus is one of the
most beautiful and fertile places to be
found in all Syria. From the hill of Mo-
BANNED can be counted more than thirty
distinct villages, varying in size from the
great city with more h 100000 to the
little Kurdish hamlet OF 100 souls. Great
capavans are constantly arriving at Bag
dar, accompanied by queer, ugly-looking
Bedouins. while in most cases q guard OF
fifty or more fighting men ride about the
outskirts of the caravans all the way from
the Euphrates until the minarets of Da-
muscus are sighted. The spring of the
gear is the time to visit all Syrian cities,
but especially Damascus. for then it is
liksned to a great emerald, and with its
thousands of gardens, apricot trees. lemon
and Orange groves. ~Pomegranites, and
roses II presents a wonderful contrast to
tho cold, dark, sullen rocks of the anti
Lebanon hills on one side and Mount Her
mon and Jebel Kasium on the west and
northwest. From a purely oriental point of
view Damascus is most interesting. Here
tue purest Arabic is spoken, and here in
every crooked street and bazaar can be seen
the sights, scenes. and treasure SO wonder
fully described III the arabian Nights"