The record-union., 1893-01-12
Old BYZANTIUM
Contrast in Two Famous Tombs in
StambOul.
From Alexander to the Conqueror of
the Eastern Empire-A Glimpse
of the Arabian Nights.

of the Arabian Nights.
Old Byzantium, now the Seraglio Point
of Constantinople, is an interesting bit of
the world. From the Pigene Mosque to
the Delphian serpent one passes through
so many phases of life and experiences so
many new sensations that he feels him
self consciously advancing in civilization.
| To the student of contrasts there is satis-
/ faction in two famous tombs here, which,
with more than seventeen hundred years
between them, still challenge comparison
for themselves and the civilizations they
represent.
In the new museum, not far from the
Sublime Porte, rests the so-called sar-
cophagus of Alexander, discovered last
year at Sidon. Perfectly preserved,
arch@ologists incline to believe it a work
executed by command of Alexander the
Great for the body OF friend. The skull
found within it is that of a young man,
the angle of the jaw still obtuse. the teeth
almost perfect. Whoever he was, his
| tomb was worthy the noblest in Greece.
| Colossal. perhaps ten feet long by six
high, it dwarfs The other fine specimens
in the hall. Its roof is sharply pitched,
the marble chiseled into scales.
Around the edges are set repeated
heads Of the sun-god, his face surrounded
! by the sacred rays, and between each two
heads is the head of ram. When the
/ book, soon to be published at Paris, de-
scribes the treasures found at Sidon, we
may know the meaning of these symbols.
At each of the four corners is a superb
lion couchant, his head and forepaws
! reaching over the side. One pediment
presents a battle, the other a hunting
scene. Near the top of the sarcophagus
is broad band OF vine leaves and grapes.
Below this is acOmplicated Greek border
and two or three lines OF finely cut mold
ings. Still below are the superb high re-
llets OF the sides and ends. These, as on
the pediments, are battle and hunting
scenes. The men are Greeks and Per-
slams, distinguished by features, weapons
and costume. In the battle the dead and
wounded lie under the feet of horses and
men. each with real individuality that
is awful; wounded horse, Just sinking
to earth, lifts his head with pitiful, wild
glare OF terror. The men, mounted and on
foot, fight with passion that quickens the
breath of the gazer. The head of one
warrior is Identical in feature and ex-
preston with that seen on the coins of
Alexander.
In the hunting scene mounted men
with dogs are coursing deer and fighting
lions. One huge lion has leaped full at
the breast Of a noble horse and torn
away q great piece OF flesh; but dog has
set his jaws upon the lions hind leg. The
strength and VIgor OF these figures can
not be described, but the unique crown
ing glory Of the whole is color. We have
discussed all sides Of Ibid the Greeks
paint their statues?" and to some it has
seemed desecratiOu to fancy color
against the pure marble. But no devotee
OF The Renaissance itself could look at the
sarcophagus of Alexander and deny the
beauty OF painted marble. The color is
indescribable. 1t is unknown to an age
of analine dyes. and only suggests the
days of Italian art. To say that the vine
leaves are in violet and faint yellow, that
the garments and weapons OF the men
and the trappings of the horses show blue
and red and green III their most delicate
tints, is worse than useless, for it may
, suggest barbarous insult to the marble.
But see the fact and be convinced.
Away beyond the other side of the
, Hippodrome is the tomb of Mahmoud
the Conqueror, who took ConstantinoDle
in 1i53. He lies with nine of his house
hold in a circular-domed room. whose
! eight long windows let in a flood OF vivid
| eastern light. The floor Of this death
chamber is covered with fine India mat
ting and precious rugs, protected from
profane feet by huge heelless slippers
furnished at the door. Below the dome
z is a broad trieZe of fine arabesques in
green. From the top of the dome hangs
an enormous crystal chandelier, gift of
: Queen Victoria to the Sublime Porte.
On either side of the door is a large gilt
French clock, given by the first Napoleon
Strange trophies these for Mahmoud's
tomb. On the walls hang priceless
green prayer rug from Mecca framed
printed texts from the Koran. and q COPY
of that sacred book written on cloth in
letters so fine as to require n glass for
their reading. The Koran is everywhere.
Half a dozen low stands, made of two
crossed pieces of wood, completely in
1 crusted with mother-of-pearl, hold each
! its volume wrapped IN red. One OF these
is an exquisitely illuminated manuscript,
a said to have belonged to HarOun al
! Raschid. Boxes Of silver or of pearl
8 stand all along the wall, each with its
precious book.
And all this is a setting for the nine
sarcophagi. Mahmoud's, the largest, is
: shape the material is wholly hidden by
n a atight-ftting cover of black velvet mag
a niticently embroidered in solid silver ar
abesques. At the head of the sarcopha-
e gus is a common red teZ, such as any
@ common hamal might wear, but it is
adorned by feather and a large and
brilliant diamond STAR 70 the left OF
this sarcOphagus is a smaller rug bearing
n q small, unadOrned feZ, and to the right
" eight more without the fex-the tombs OF
. women of the Conqueror's harem. These
IS have, beside the velvet cover, from three
: to eight fine cashmere scarfs such as rich
v Turks wear as girdles. These are folded
IS in narrow bands and laid close together
near the head OF the sarcophagus.
Whether the idea is pure ornament or
something of deeper meaning the pretty
J boy in attendance does not know.
o This fantastic glimpse into the sara
"a bian Nights" is the highest tribute mod
:, ! ern Turkey could pay her greatest hero
n On comparing the tomb of Alexander
i with the base, puerile resting place OF
Mahmoud the Eastern question seems
already solved. Whatever its fate in Asia
Europe can not much longer tolerate a
civilization whose ideals are expressed in
art so utterly antagonistic to her own.-
New York Tribune.
st
e. ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM.