The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-10-22
CAIRO BAZARS.
Market Places and shops in the Egyptian
Capital.

Capital.
The appearance of oriental shops Is
well known. A square cavity followed
out of wall two feet above the ground,
that is a shop at Cairo. Strictly speak.
ing, It is nothing more than a largo
rectangular niche opening onto the
street, with no way out either at the
back or the sides, in which, instead of a
statue, is merchant squatting amongst
his wares, or workman at his task
These shops, instead of being scattered
about in different streets, as In Europe,
are all together at certain corners; and
when these corners are rooted in, they
become bazar For there is not at
Cairo a special structure for protecting
these shops, as there Is at Consaanti-
nople or at Tunis.
All these shops make curious pictures.
There behind mass of pots and pans,
dishes and plates of red and yellow cop
per-some black and rusty with hge,
others spicl and span with newness,
with here and there CLEANS of the red
or straw-colored gold so dear to painters
of still-life subjects-an Arab is busy at
repousse-work, his hammering making
deafening noise which is heard afar
off. Egyptian metal work is very fine,
with dignity all its own, and the COM
mon ever in use amongst the poorest Is
of really extraordinary beauty of style
Further on we come to a collection OF
red, black, or gray earthenware, cheap
stoves, pipes, and vases engraved wit )
ornaments in intaglio, painted blue or
| Trl,;a Ecrvy,1t;an
disdained, know not why, by dealers
in oriental ware, is extremely interest
ing. Its shape is often grand, and the
forms found in Egyptian tombs have
been preserved.
Next, cleaning like border of jon.
quils and poppies with its masses of red
and yellow, is shoe shop; regular
flower bed for color. And in the midst
of confusion of Turkish slippers in
scarlet or saffron leather, crouches the
cobbler, stitching away or drilling holes
with his awL
The bazar par excellence, is broken
up in an extraordinary manner. Fancy
an alley so short that it is barely two
hundred PAGES long; so twisted that you
can only see scrap of it at time; SC
narrow that the houses seem to be
scowling at and ready to fall upon
their opposite neighbors; and beneath
the dull-hued lean-to walls, in every
nook and corner, are shops full of daz'
zling objects; many-colored oriental
stuffs, figured brocades, dainty Arab
jewelry, cleaning daggers and sabres,
ancient damascened helmets, silver
| xx,;- h0tf1ao c,1rao1 xN,,f ,1i1a
up for sale. And amidst this
confusion of stuffs, weapons, and
jewels in glass cases, or of un.
folded silks is the merchant, squattina
in the shadow and smoking with abso-
lutte Indifference, his dreamy eyes gaz
ing forth in kind of ecstacy of melan
choly, whilst before him, in the trans
parent bowl of his nargileh, at each
breath he draws, floats regular flo
tilla of rose leaves, dancing, whirling
round, and suffering shipwreck amongst
the big bubbles on the surface. These
shrewd old merchants really look like
poets lost in the third heaven of bliss
full contemplation.
Immediately after sunset the life anc
motion of Cairo cease, and it is rare
thing to meet native returning home
on dark night with white paper
lantern in his hand, or to see an Aral
cafe still lit up, and with the candles
hung up round the door, making 6
brightness in the deserted streets.
we want something to do for anothe
hour, the only resource is to pay visi
to the almehs. Leaving the French
quarter you turn into q gloomy pas
sage amongst tottering houses, and fine
yourself opposite to long straight
street of a somewhat sinister aspect
The same solitude everywhere, not ;
ghost of a passenger, absolute silence
but above each door fliclzers the flame
of little watch-light floating in +;
vessel of oil, and casting ray of ligh
upon the mud houses opposite. .-Har
per's Weekly.