Evening star., 1903-11-28

leadlng inhabitants VI the town now are
the managers of the farms Of the non-resi-
dent landlords. AS one of the greatest ad-
mirers Of Cordova says: There are now
but few and fast-fading vestiges Of the
glorious Moslem dominion: Indeed, artists
and poets will feel that their progress Is
little else than following the long funeral
Of that eastern genius that left no heirs be-
hind save such like cities as this one that
sit in widowhood pointing to some great
monument as an eloquent record Of past
magnificence."
Coriova now has less than $1,000 inhab-
itants. In the days Of tie Romans it had
more than a million ana for many centuries
1t was not only the pr0udest and most
populous city of Spain but tt was the seat
of its greatest wealth and industry.
Everybody has heard of Cordova leather.
You can now buy it of the curio dealers
and the furniture men in New York, in
Chicago, in Hongkong and in Buenos
Ayres. Like the blades of Toledo. 1t was
famous throughout the entire world, and
yet today not a scrap can be purchased IN
the city from which it came There are
still several tanneries here, but they pro-
duce only ordinary leather. The morocco,
to which Cordova gave it's name, is pro-
duced elsewhere, if it is made at all.
The Sultan's Palace.
Cordova was the capital of Islam in the
west as was Damascus IN the east, and the
residence of the richest ruler of his age.
Three miles northwest, outside of the city
walls, upon the estate of the Marquis
Goadalcazar, was a palace of the Moorish
sultan, quite large and even more cost
ly than the Alhambra. 1t is said to have
represented an expenditure of more than
$3.50, 100000 1t was called the Medinat AZ
Zahra and was erected by Abderrahman
III, one of the greatest OF the Moorish
kings. The descriptions left US by the
Arab poets and writer's of that day repre-
sent 1t as equal in extent and magnificence
to the Golden House OF Nero and the other
palaces of the Caesars at Rome. 1t was
built of marble, and was large enough TO
accommodate 1900 people. Its decorations
were of the same style as those of the AL
hambra and the AlcaZar at Seville, and
some claim that they surpassed them the
harem of this luxurious Saracen contained
$500 women, sample beauties from all the
countries of the world; there were 5000
mules and horses in the stable; 13,Vo
pounds of meat were consumed by his
household daily; 1890 servants and at
tendants waited upon him, OF whom 500
were mercenary guards kept by the sultan
to protect him against his own people.
The palace was built In nine years and
finished in the year 936. The arch1tect
came from Bagdad, and brought with him
from beyond the Mediterranean 4,3l2 col
umns of different kinds of precious marble;
He employed 10000 men, 24oo mules ana
100 camels in the work OF constructlon'
and more than 1900 artisans and deco
rators came from Damascus, Bagdad,
Alexandria, Cairo and Constantinople Ihe
great hall in which the khal1f received am
bassadors was finished IN epeny ana isorS;
It's eight doors were Overlaid with gold ana
incrusted with precious stones. In nall
called Al-Munis was a fountain brought
from Constantinople The water f1oWed
from the mouths of animals sitting aIouIs9 f
the rim of the basin, which were made OF
pure gold and adorned with precious
stones. .
dinary structure may be found in Al-Mak-
Of MaPreh. The palace
had been occupied but twenty-five years
when it was burned, and the ruins na.e
been allowed to lie undisturbed, except oc-
casionally by some treasure-hunter OF
builder in Cordova who sought material
for construction purposes. No excaVatloIls
have ever been made about the place. ana
1t is believed that the ruins conceai an uii-
paralleled mine of Moorish art
Wealthiest City of Europe.
Under the rule of this prince, when Cor
dova was the capital and the metropolis OF
the Moors, and the wealthiest city IN Eu-
rome. there were 900 mosques, hfty nos
nitals 500 public schools, 800 public baths,
600 hotels, public library of SOO,oo vol
umes. and seventy private libraries are
mentioned by the writers or tha1 "a date.
The revenues amounted to $3O,OOO,oOo
year and among the residents were the
richest merchants in the world. 1t was
also the center of learning and art, ana the
home Of the ablest scholars OF the Mahom-
medan world. It's glories have been de-
scribed in hundreds of volumes in ancient
and modern times. One rare book of seven
volumes nearly large as the Century
Dictionary is beautifully illustrated with
coored plates that give us an idea of It's
architectural features and artistic embel-
liShments.
Julius Caesar has given US a good de-
scription of the city as 1t looked in his
day. and he maSsacred 2S,ODo of its in
habitants in cold blood after the battle OF
Munda because they took the part of Pom
pey and furnished the latter money and
men. Al one time, in Toledo, the Jews
of Cordova We're influential in finance
and commerce the members of their race
are today, but there is no Jew living in the
city now, and no one can remember when
the last representative of that race was
seen in the crooked old streets. They were
all driven out and their property confis
Gated.
Birthplace of Seneca.
CoIdOva was the birthplace of Seneca, the
great Roman philosopher and the prime
minister of the wicked Nero. 1t was also
the home of the stole Lucan, and of Gallo,
procurator of Achaia, the only Spaniard
mentioned in the Bible. 1t was he who ad-
vised the government of Rome not to med
die with religion. and thus extended the
career and usefulness of the Apostle Paul
and gave him leisure in COrinth to write
the Epistle to the Romans. Gonsalvo di
CordoVa 1443-1515), eel gran captain" the
general commanding the armies of Ferdi-
nand and Isabella, whose military genius
enabled them to drive the Moors from the
Kingdom was born in the suburbs and had
his residence here. He was undoubtedly
of Spain