New-York tribune., 1906-11-25
A BLOODY FESTIVAL IN STAMBOUL.

step fnonopolizng the very centre or busv
wbict "heu ' street Each road has it's own pack
trns,a protests Vehemently against any foreign
t"pass, - fet dog may pass where he pleas
pN making. in the Turkish phrase ''tesslim''-
e., &; resignation In a street not his own ne
- ophged every few yards TO lie on his bs ok
ana wave his paws propitiatinglv while an in
hospltable chorus barkS round him The nrog-
s aess IS SLOW and undgnhed but in the end sure
hnle h oI lhe doss are handsome, and nearly all
nave most courtly manners hut the great ma
oIiF are either crippled by carriages or mango
tba ne =" Teh puppies appear upon the scene
a, HeaIest lurk provides q basket and milk
ana sees generally TO their welfare and woe be-
Ie T lIle foreigner who tries to kill hound.
CoHsCahunope Is essentially a place to visit
al certain seasons. and more especially with a
view 10 seeing one of it's feasts or ceremonies
The SelamlilI has been too often and too we'll
uescrlped FOR a repetition here. But two other
ceremonies, at least, produce an indelble inn
preSslon-namely, the Might of Power" where
prayers are heard and answered. and the Per-
slah feStlVaL a euphemistic misnomer for
what really occurs. On the Might of Power
one IS conducted up the narrow, steep passage
tnal leads to the gallery of Agia Sofia from
which one looks down upon the worshippers
through a sea of light The sound of the peoples
prostrations comes up like rhythmic. mufed
thunder. while the long chanting OF the Imams
is a harmonious accompaniment but ineffective
beside the sincerity of the supplicants whose
whole heart is in their prayer. The spectator
is forced to accord a half reluctant admiration
to the absolute genulneness which characterizes
these devotiOns The beautiful mosque, with its
blazing lights below, its long galleries above half
lost in darkness. and the roll of sound which
rises, regular and 1nceSSant as the beat OF
Mediterranean surf is unique and of the
most striking sights of Constantinople. On this
night of fanaticism foreigners not allowed to
go into the crowd, seething with the "inurbanty
OF the religion of the dire impostor."
The exhibition of Persian fervor is more
aggerated and hysterical, but scarcely more in
tense, than the Sunni worship in Santa Sophia
A comparison between the two might perhaps
suggest the contrast between the orderly pray
ers of a congregation and rhe frantic suppca-
tton of the deity by the inmates of madhouse.
If an apology is needed for repeating that which
has been often described, one can but say
that. however elliptic account may be of tho
ceremonies of Stamboul 1t would be hopelessy
incomplete without a brief allusion to the Bash
Vourmak,'' or Striking Of the head"
This passion play is held annually in celebra-
tion of the hero-martyr Hussan, who died in
the plain of Kerbela, and his brother Huseyn.
The play takes place in the courtyard Of the
Persian Valide Khan, of which roofs bal
comics and pavements crowded by pious or
curious Onlookers. When ] present the
Europeans We're stationed the balconies, to
which access is obtained through long pitch
black galleries, above the Turkish soldiers who
kept back the throng The discipline is excel
dued than when, under similar circumstances,
they enforce a moderate order at Jerusalem.
Before the litany of blood begins. with its
appearance Of insane devil worship. the process
sion comes In under the flare of torches, to the
accompaniment of beating OF drums and a
chanting which continually Increases in volume.
Upon this occasion It was led by two horses
draped in white. with doves on one and a child
upon the other. Behind these follow oscillating
red and green banners. and the devotees sway
Ing their bodies in agonized entreaty. Their ap-