The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-10-23

+. %.Il
William Jennings BRYAN.
visit to this city of narrow. winding
ground plan Of the m0sque covers
streets and oriental appearance. TIL
about 100000 square feet-ncarly as
much as 81. Peters at Rome, but one
third of the space IS occupied by 4
court. All W~ell-regulated mosques
have a court where the WorshippeFS
assemble and purify themselves be-
fore entering upon their deFotlonS-
The mosque was some four centuries
in the building. one ruler after another
extending its limits in order 20 accom-
mGdate the increasing lumber Of con-
vertS. In appearance the structure is
low and flat and gives little idea Of is
immensely. 1t is surrounded by a
strong wall heavily buttressed and IS
entered by huge gates. one OF these
gates bears striking testimony 10 q
remarkable agreement entered INTO by
the Christians and MOhammedaas
whereby the two ~antagOnlStic rell9-
ions divided the church between them
These gates are covered with plates
Of bronze on which Catholic and
Arabic symbols alternate. The joint
occupation did not last very long. but
Abderrahman when he desired to Sc
cure more room for the Followers OF
the Prophet was considerable enough
to purchase the other half from the
Christians.
The itncrior of the Mosque Is a sue
cession of arches supported by nearly
a thousand pillars and these pillars
the traveller is told, We're brought from
Carthage. France and Italy. Work
men were secured in ConStantinOpie
by one Of the CaliphS and it is pos
sible to find almost every variety OF
architecture in the columns themselves
on. il, thair 90 initials aud bases
When CrOdoVa was recaptured Dy
the Christians in the thirteenth CEN
fury a part Of this building was con-
Vcrtcd into a cathedral and today it
presents a curious combination OF
chapel, altar. shrine and mosque. The
most attractive decorations in the
mosque are the mOsaicS. and the sd
perb wood carving in the principal
choir are of rare merit. one series Of
these pictures in wood illustrate Oid
Testament history, while another por-
trays the principal events of the life
of Christ.
The road from OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
once the center of art. Arabi learning
and religion. but now q prosalc town
of less than 60,00U-tO Granada. the
last stronghold of the MOOrS north OF
the Mediterranean. IA through =
| succession of olive groves. Nowhere,
not even in Palestine or about tho
Noun hat bears the olives name.
have we seen such an abundance of
these trees. From the Importance Of
this industry n would suppose that
southern Europe could supply olive
oil enough without importing cotton
seed from the United States, and yet
we nave been assured by shippers thar
q great deal of the olive oil which we
buy from Europe is really cotton seed
oil which has twice crossed the A.
lantic.
The City of Granada is situated at
the foot of the Sierra Nevada upon
whose summit some snow still i'm
gered when tWo-thirds of the month
of August had passed. The city
stretches back toward the mountains
and derives its food supply from a
splendid valley which extends toward
the west to the Atlantic. At one time
Granada had 4 population of 10000.
hut today less than a third Of that
number can be counted in the city. IN
the height of its glory GrGnada'S kings
held court in Oricntal fashion and sur
rounded themselves with Il luxury
which the colder countries OF the
north did not attempt to initiate.
When the Indians rOamed over the
pIairies and hunted through h for
ests of the western hemisphere. the
Arab ruler had his palace on the
height of Alhambra and turning his
face toward Mecca prayed for the eX-
termination of the infidcl; his war
: ~ NiAN otA ! - N'IS ~ - - -
rayage the surrounding country and.
returning laden With spoil. held high
carnival on the banks Of the Darro.
The faireSt of the women of his race
We're gathered into the harem and
flowers and fountains gave perfume
and freshness to his habitation.
Washington Irving has contributed
50 much to literature ON the Alhambra
and its legends that il is not necessary
to undertake a deScription of his faS-
I Efn2I1nor n2)1cA of tho Atnn1i-l kim OK
il crowns a hill much as the Farthe-
non crowns the ACrODOliS or as the
summer residence Of MeXiCO's preSi-
dent crowns Chapultepec. Irving
found the palace neglected n CCCu-
pied by wandering families whose
members felt no interest in its preser-
Walton. lie helped To arouse an inter
est in the palace which has led the
government not only to protect it from
further vandalism, but to restore
many of its parts. It's rooms, halls
audience chambers, courts n bath-
are all finished in most elaborate style
As in other MOhanmedan buildings
the Ornamentation is in geometrlca
, figures and flowers. As the followers
Of this religion carry Their aversion L
idolatry so far that they Go rot use
human figures or even figures OF ami
mails in decoration. The material en-
rIoved in the -Alnambra is Ntucco ano
il is surprising what delicacy an(
grace characterize the works. one
inds here Il reminder OF the screen
which play 50 important a part in tht
tombs built by the Mohammcdan con.
querors in India. except that in India
marble is used.
To the american the room known
as the Hall Of the Ambassadors i
especially interesting because in thi
room, If the word OF the guide can 10
relied upon, Ferdinand and isabella lie
7 caiNed Columbus just before ne en-
harked upon his voyage of discovery
e y part of the Alhambra was tori
II down by order Of Charles the Fifth
4 who early in the sixteenth centur