The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-05
THE SULTAN ON AN OUTING
His HebdOmadal Visit to the Mosque
and What II Means.
A Great Deal of Ceremony-Life in
Constantinople in the Palace and in
the Street-Turkish Women Have q
Dull Time of 1t at the Best.

Tue more aStonlSnet one is at the curious
customs IN other countries. You imagine
that each nation has been described so
often that you must know all the habits
and ideas of its inhabitants, yet it is only
when you 80 To the country itself that
you find out how much you have yet
to learn. One drawback that we as
nation suffer from is our inability to
speak May foreign languages; we think
if we can converse in two others besides
our own that we are quite linguists
whereas, on the continent, 90 where you
will, you generally ind it the usual thing
for a person to speak three or four
foreign languages. In the Levant. TO be
able TO speak six or seven different ones
is common accomplishment with both
ladies and gentleman. Last year, while
staying in Turkey, ! felt very stupid, not
being able TO speak either Turkish or
Greek, and as both are too difficult to
learn in short time, was dependent on
friends or interpreters for getting about.
My ignorance Of these languages did not
however, prevent my seeing many curious
sights, or hearing few strange stories
concerning the lives of the subjects of his
majesty, the Sultan. Perhaps a few
words about one of the principal events
Al thO AAAC VI A4oAALA ~ uAn4oC4A uldN lubCE-
est some of my countrywomen.
MoNoToNoUs LIFE.
That the life of the sultan is monoto-
nous TO the last degree is known to most
people; and when you think that he
leaves his palace once a week for but
three-quarters of an hour, and always
with the same object, namely, a state
ceremony, even that ceases after while
to be any change for him. 1t is consid-
cred the orthodox thing for each sultan,
when he comes to the throne, to build a
palace for himself. The present sover-
eign, Hamid II, has built nice but IN
pretentious one on a hill behind Bechik-
tache, about mile and a half from Pera.
AL the roads over which his majesty is
ever likely to pass are kept in fairly de-
cent repair; the others must be seen and
felt, description fails to picture the ruts,
holes, powders, stones and crevices that
roads and streets of Constantine
pie If it rains heavily for twenty
minutes, you have seas and lakes
of mud, TO pass over which is almost an
impossibility. The road leading up to
Yeldiz, however, is delightful to ride on;
everything here is fair to see." Before
you arrive at the palace you come to the
mosque OF Heldiz. where the sultan goes
to service every Friday. The mosque is
a very fine building Of white marble,
richly gilt, though it has but one nina
ret Compared with the older mosques
in STEAMBOAT. 1t is quite small. Lately a
very handsome clock tower has been
built Just within the gates, the clocks
showing both Turkish and F'rankish
time Exactly opposite the mosque is
the pavilion, a house which belongs to
his majesty, where visitors go to witness
the "Salemlek, or sultan going to
mosque If you have no friends who
can take you there, you must apply to
your own embassy for an invitation
each ambassador has so many invitations
TO give away every week
TO SEE THE SIGHT.
To get a good view of all that takes
place you must be at the pavilion two
hours before the time the sultan appears,
for the windows get very quickly appro-
priated. / was lucky in having friend
20 take me who lives in Constantinople;
her relations are connected with the i'm
perial court, and she knew all the officers
of state; she told me who they were as
they passed in the procession. Every
Friday there are from 5000 to 10000 sol
diers stationed round the mosque. guard
ing all the approaches. Among such a
numb Der of men, you can imagine the vari-
ETY. of uniforms. In one regiment the
soldiers wore blue uniforms, with, of
course, the universal red fez; they
carried small red and white pen
nants, and all the horses were white.
Another regiment had the same uniform
and pennant, only the horses were black.
The sailors wear pretty dress in sum
mer, consisting of white cotton suits, with
blue cuffs and collars, bright red sash
round their waists and the red fez They
look nice and cool. In winter blue clothes
are substituted for the white ones. There
are always eight or ten bands present
generally two or three playing at time
Some of them are very good, but, as ma
ton, you cannot say the Turks are must
cal, and after our military music Turkish
band is not treat.
During the time you have to wait YOU
see men passing to and fro in all kinds of
dress. Priests of every order and kind,
some of whom have on a green turban
some, better still, light green coat.
which shows THAT the wearer has at
some time made pilgrimage to Mecca.
You can imagine how dazzling is the pic
ture of this great number of soldiers,
with their glittering uniforms and the
rich oriental dresses of so large a crowd.
Add TO this the exquisite surroundings
of marble buildings, blue sea and sky,
lovely gardens and cloudless sunshine,
ana you have coup-d DELL an equal TO
which you cannot get anywhere else in
Europe
Inc paldce OF elQlZ is ABOUT three
minutes drive from the mosque, and Just
before the sultan comes fresh gravel is
thrown down to let him think that all the
roads are in good condition. There is an
Enclosure round the mosque, into which
one or two carriages are allowed to enter.
They generally contain some members of
the sultan's harem, guarded by eunuchs
There were two or three small princesses
there the day was present, and as girls
do not wear the ''yashmak" till they are
IA years old, had a good view of the
children, The ladies were yelled, 50 /
could not see their faces.
wEAr TIE PROCESSION IS.
The procession of the sultan consists,
firstly, Of the minister and high officers of
state walking slowly two and two; then
comes his majesty, driving gorgeous
carriage, dark red IN color, but with a
great deal Of gold about 1t, drawn by o
pair of magnificent Arab horses. The
coachman also was richly appareled
Seated In the carriage opposite 70 the
Sultan was the (then) grand vizier, Os-
man Pashs After the carriage came
more officers and soldiers At the gate OF
the mosque the ministers form two lines,
when the sultan drives between them up
10 the door Of the mosque bowling right
and left 10 every one. As he approaches
the mosque priest on the minaret calls
the faithful to prayer, and, among other
things, ne cries TO the sultan "Oh, you
thgpLr vouraalf Upaat man huf Lpnts,