The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-22


about this ancient Capital, in which no
sound OF wheel. or hammer or human life
Is heard its narrow. dark and dirty streets
almost deserted by man and beast-you re-
call what Gautier said OF Cordova more
than half century ago: 1T is city Of
whose once beautiful body nothing remains
hut bIeacbed and calciued skeleton"
Lying low in the sunny valley OF the
Guadalquivir. in the very heart Of Andalu-
sia. surrounded by grey olive groves and
villas crumbling with the weight of cen
turtles, it has been appropriately called
The City of Venerable Tranquility.
Though its absolute silence and absence of
life are depressing, you find it extremely
Interesting It abounds with antiquities.
aud at every step memories are awakened
of the old Roman emperors. Of later Ara
bian Caliphs-of Queen Scheherezade. S
marvellous tales, and the adventures Of the
'gaunt country gentleman of la Mancha "
whose home was close by. Antique gates
and sculptures and nail-studded doors,
mosques towers. and minarets. the CALLER
led houses. with their azuelos, mullioned
windows and flower filled patios the great
Roman bridges and shrines in the outer
walls-all speak of times long, long gone
BY.
So winding and shadowy are the streets
suddenly ending in blank walls, or con-
verging into half dozen other alleys
equally tortuous and obscure. you are sure
TO get lost in their labyrinthine Windlngs,
If without a guide. Meeting nobody OF
whom to enquire the way back to your no
tel you are finally forced to pound upon
a closed door, which rends the venerable
tranquility with echoes. that seem as
sacrilegious as shouting in a dim Cattle
dral As visitors are never expected in
modern Cordoya, il takes more than one
pounding TO bring anybody to the door;
and when at last the startled servant ap-
pears his directions are SO complicated,
concerning numerous turnings to be made.
that you feel more hopelessly lost than be-
fore. The better way is to engage a ma
tive cicerone at the outset Your hotel
viii furnish man, who viii shuttle along
side all day. for a few cents, and tell you
more wild yarns than ever the bride Of the
sanguinary Sultan invented in the Ara
bian Nights Entertainment.
In the widest of Cordova's streets il
would be impossible to swing the typical
cat. without dashing its brains out, and in
many Of them pedestrians are compelled
to fatten themselves against the walls on
either side whenever a donkey with bulg
ing panniers passes through. I suppose
that the idea Of the ancient builders, in
thus cramping their quarters, when they
might Just as well have spread the city
over the whole valley, was as much TO Sc
cure safely from invaders, as TO keep their
casas cool by excluding the fervid sun.
Even without the wooden gates, which
close the streets at frequent intervals,
raid or riot could make small progress,
compelled to pass three or four abreast,
under the overhauging balconies, each
house a we1l-defended fort.
The principal sight" Of Cordora, and
also one Of the chief show places in Spain.
Is the splendid mosque. La MezqlIta. CARA
bice for masegad meaning TO worship
prostratel. which the Caliph Abu-r-rah-
man H. began about A. A. $50. A hun
bred years were consumed in the building.
and it was long the grandest Moslem tenn
pie IN the world. exceeding in beauty even
Mecca. the most sacred shrine Of the Ko-
ran.
It stands close TO the muddy bank Of the
Guadalouivir in the heart OF the crowded
Jewish quarter where the early Hebrews.
persecuted by other nations, enjoyed com
plete liberty Of worship under the Saracen
rulers Directly opposite rises the once
gorgeous Alcazar. C-H0use Of Caesar" or
ROYAL Palace). OF the Kalipha-which is
now a shabby military prison, without a
trace Of its former spleHdor. Il is hard 10
realize that this spot-now so Wiley odor
Gus and Hlthy. the haunt Of vice, disease
and misery. was once the abode Of science
and art. the seat Of the wealthiest court Of
medieval Europe the refuge Of the OPP
pressed OF every creed in Christendom
and the home Of the most polished society
Of The age,
The most extraordinary feature Of La
Mezuuita is that to this day Il is half a
Moslem mosque and half a Christian ca
thedral Long. long ago, the Romans had
a temple on the spot. dedicated 20 Janus.
Afierwsrd it was the Christians Basilica,
and when the Arabs entered Cordoya, in
the year III. they converted half OF il into
a mosque. leaving the other half undIs-
turbed to the Christians. This liberal ar
rangement on the part Ct the Moslems,
which I am afraid would not have been i'm
itsied bv the Christians. had the positions
been reversed. vas also made in he Ba-
silica Of ST John at Damascus which Was
afterward converted into the great
mosque When Prince Abdu-r-rahman, { Re
last survivor of the lire Of Meyades VINO
wandering tribes Of the Lihyan Desert.
was called 10 the throne as the only hope
Of the war-desClated country. his first act
was to declare himself iudep0@1ent OF the
sultaus Of the East Having consolidated
his domiuions by the suhjugati1u OF al
Who ventured to dispute his severe gny
uuelled internal feUds and restored peace
and prosperity-the saEari0us monarch
next turned his attention 10 rendering his 4
al
the influences and preiudiges Of the East. (
This was not possible so long as the year I
IL pilgrimage 10 the Holy City o. Arabia 4
Obligatory uuOn al good MOslems, impair I
ed the feeling Of q distinct nationality /
which he wished to foster. besides con-
Stunning 50 much Of the time and money Of (
his subjects. Therefore, IL was clear that +
q Shrine must be established al rome, (
which should out-d0 even the Tomb q /
the Prophet at Mecca. There was as yet 1
no Dislma or Grand Mosque. in Spain, I
the services Of Islam being everyHh re /
held in conhscated churches and most Of T
these divided with w0rshipeTs of another I
creed. In Cordova, Christians and Mahom- /
medaus bowed beneath the same roof al 4
most before the very affairs where The
earlier Romans had rendered homage TO /
their gods. With considerable dimeglty,
but perfect fairness Atdu-r-rahmau / 4
finally bought the whole struc,ure-the 4
priests receiving their purchase money ln /
gold. and with it Immediately building an
other church. which they dedicated TO Sts-
Faustus snd Marcial. and then the Chris
tiaus quilted the cathedral, bearing n SOL
enn procession the images Of the saints
and al their treasures.
A Wonderful Temple of Allah.
The ground was al once cleared for the
grand dialma, which was designed to be