Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-07-20


i.of the Almoahades almost mprognable.
The mosque OF Abou Abdulla esh-
Should commonly known as Sidi El-
Kalawi, the candy-maker~+lle Just
outside the walls. You leave the town
By the abattoir gate pass group %
native huts inhabited by negroes. who
have their own mosque and minaret,
follow the angle Of the wall--and pres
entity see, far below you the holy place
Of sld el.Halawl, amid clump OF
olive trees. This Mohammedan saint
hourlshed about the year 1928, Having
been appointed tutor 10 the several
hundred children OF the Sultan Abou-
ZIan, he gave some offensc 20 the grand
yizar, who accused him Of sorcery and
brought about his death. Then followed
series Of miracles which astOnished
the sultan, who caused the wicked
grand vizaf 20 be buried alive In q mass
Of clay, and h0nored the murdered
saint with the mosque which bears his
name and Is also his tomb IL Is hard
ly worth while climbing down TO Il un-
der the brolling African sun, though
the mosaics Of lts minaret glitter like
Jewels and It's portal and colonnades
are said 10 be very beautiful.
Go straight on down the hin by an
easier path TO the right, and In q few
minutes you viii reach the minaret
which Is all that remains OF the mosque
OF ancient Aghadlr the cradle Of
Tlemcen. only the minaret Of a
mosque IN standing. remains and walls
which, by their immense extent bear
witness 10 the splendors OF the van
ished city. Its tower, about 100 feet
high, is OF square construction and IN
a wonderful state Of preservation,
though II has lost nearly all us original
coating Of glazed tiles, Encased IN its
thick walls are monumental stones,
from the SIN older Roman city POM
aria. which 0ccupled the same site az
Agh8dlr, more than two thousand years
ago The stones are hewn, many are
carved inside ana out, with Latin In
scriptions, now almost eifaced and on
several may be traced the aim word,
Pomaria, The upper part OF the min
aret is brick. probably Of later date
than a. d. 1S9, when the mosque was
erected
A few yards lower down, the fOrtihca-
tions commence. The road passes
through the crumbllng arch OF gate
way which was named after
sid Daoubi, the patron saint OF
Aghadir, whose tomb lies
Few feet below. Descend little further
into the charming valley of Oued kalia
--Oued being the Arab word for river
and Kalia the name Of brawlng little
brook fed by mountain streams
walk through groves and gardens, UNI
der fig olive ash, elm and walnut
trees. leads you close under the second
or outer line OF the walls and towers OF
vanished Aghadir; and thence 70
very old Arab burial ground, with
marab0uts Of saints and lime-washed
kOubhas glistening in the sun. The
cemetery Is 80 beautifully situated that
one would suppose the dead saints
would arise from their tombs TO gaze at
the scene, and is shaded by ash and elm
trees Of enormous size.
on the way back YOU may wander
through the dense oliye-groves which
the French rulers OF Tlemcen have
christencd the Bots de Boulogne A
bright stream eddies and sparkles at
the foot Of gray old walls covered with
climbing plants fg trees and tere-
bnths grow in the chinks and crannies
OF shattered towers; deep II the
shadow. sweet Is the yiolet-scented air;
and you find il difficult to believe that
this Is really far-off, desert Africal
An travellers are astonlshed at the
cool fresh verdure OF Tlemcen. which Is
douby refreshing after the many miles
of sterility one Is obliged 10 cross on
the way here-immense areas. already
scared by the hot airs Of early summer.
The change Is due to the remarkable
climate OF Lalla Setta mountain, where
rains fan continually from October to
May and abrupt variations Of tempera-
ture cover as much as fifty degrees.
The sirOcCo or dreaded south wind
rarely blows IN this favored locality.
The winters are too cold for orange or
lemon trees TO flourish, but the olive
trees are wonderfully fine and produc-
tive. IL Is said that every olive tree Is
worth at the least fifteen francs a year,
and the number OF young trees planted
by the colonlsts indicates that the cul-
tivation Il profitable,
Another interesting ramble takes you
out o. Tlemcen by the gate OF Bou
Medin. whence you follow the highway
TO Oran. perhaps $50 yards past the
| ruined mint and over bridge which
spans the Oued Kalia. The path leads
| along the rivers edge on one side the
! public gardens. on the other extensive
remains Of walls and towers. This edge
OF the old city being most exposed, was
naturally most strongly fortified. and
| the crumblng towers are set thick as
lamp.posts on Broadway. Close by Is
| the Christian cemetery In a sad state
Of neglect and dilapldatlon, regret to
! say FANNIE b. WARD.