Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-02-01
|'WHEN THE SULTAN
| ATTENDS PRAYERS
There l.. Something Doing ia
Constantinopie When Abdul
Hamid Prays.
TAKEsPLAcE EACH FRIDAY
This Spectacular Function, Exeep'
One, Is the Only Time the Sick
Man of Europe Leaves His
Palace Fortress at Yildiz.
From .be Washington Times.

From the Washington Times,
There is something doing IN Con-
s,antinople, when the sultan goes to
pay, even though bomb throwing is
not liked on the official program. This
spectacular function, known as the
Selamlik. which takes place every Fri
day, the Turkish Sabbath, in Halnidieh
Mosque. is the only occasion, save once
annually, when his religion commands
him to visit The Chamber of Noble
Garments" at the old Serasli;,. that
Sultan Abdul Halnd III. leaves his pal
ace fortress at Yildiz, and he would be
only too glad to eliminate these Ven
lures into the outer world, if he dared.
This however, may not be
Every devout Turk is commanded by
The koran To perform his devotions each
Friday. in q public mosque, and The
great Padisha. though representing in
his own person the absolute Caliph of
the faith. as Well as head of the ma
tion, can least of all men omit this duty
of praying for the welfare of all his
Mnssulman subjects. The duty of pro
siding al this solemn office has been i'm
cumbent upon the sultans ever since
the year 1861, when the reis1ing SON.
ereign, Murad j., found himself unable
TO give evidence before the Mufti. in a
case where one of his fayorites was
concerned, because. according to the
koran, no person can be admitted To
witness in IL religious court of justice
who has not Joined In common prayer
at the mosque. Recognizing the JUS
tice of this decision. Murad proceeded
to the mosque on the following Friday
in a great accession of state. and the
function has never since been omitted
for any reason whatever
Coacl'man Far More Imposing.
Every eye is fixed on the little. old
round shouldered man who sits ON TN
back seat of a gorgeous phacton ol
black and gold drawn BY IA pair o,
magnificent white thoroughbrcds giveG
him by the emperor of Austria. oppo,
Site him is the present minister of wai
who has taken the place held so long
by Osman Pasha, while his faithful
.oachlnan on the box presents q far
man himself. whose dress like the
eunuchs, is somber black. buttoned
tight around the throat. Underneath
this habit, 1t is said. he wears Il coal
of finest mail. His fez is scarlet with
a heavy black tass2l. In the Meeting
glimpse vouchsafed us Gor the actua,
passing takes far less time than th,
telling) we note with surprise how
much older than his pictures he looks
Pale, clnaciated, hollow eyed, and WITH
the long, hooked, high bridged Arnen-
ian nose, he looks, indeed, the Sich
Man of Europe.
Not a smile irradiates his pnched
features, while look OF absolute ter.
ror in his large eastern eyes, over
Swallowed with heavy broWs. empha-
sizes the fact that he is one OF TIN.
unhappiest of men, living in constant
fear of sudden death. Nor is this tc
be wondered at when one recalls thai
out of his twenty sevcn predecessors
who have rcigncd since the conquest
of Constantinoplc by Mohanmed ir
1853 four indeed, have died peacefully
Several have endeaNored to save THEFT
lives by resignng, but this has protited
them nothing in span of life. Hi.
brows, beard and hair are dyed Il deer
black, an office he is said to perform
for himself
In response to the obeisance of tho
Mohammedan sightsecrs, among whom
are hundreds of dusty, ragged hndiis
from Mecca. who bend III devout att.
tudcs, the sultan gives the Turkish
salute. touching in rapid succession his
breast stomach and head with the OPP
ened hand. To the diplomats and Wis.
itors in the pavilion he simply bows
rolling his head. All about the royal
carriage are the Albanian guards. pie.
turesque figures in their petticoats OF
white fustenello their gay embroid.
cred Jackets. and heavy tasseled fezzes
And all the time the bands are play
ing With infinite vigor II;midiek
March," attendants are springing for
ward with Persian rugs TO spread fol-
his sanity feet. the guards close in
about him, and, as we lose sight OF
him at the door of the mosque. we
note the scramble of the portly pashas,
evidently believe in the old adage that
the devil takes the hindmost.
Half an houl passes. From the out
side we can hear the chanting OF the
Imams. More tea and coffee is passed
TO the visitors I'm the pavilion. Then q
movement among the soldiers and we
crane our ncckS to lose no bit of tho
show A bugle call. Each regiment il,
turn detaches itself from the others
and in rotation enters the gate of tho
mosque. passing down by the left side
under Il range of windows where the
sultan stands screened from observa-
ton to review them. These troops do
themselves in two lines, one up and
one down the precipitous road ON the
rise of the hill.
A score of men break from the veil
ing fringe of marines and zouaves for
another scatter of earth on the fifty
yards where the final dash of the inn
periaI party is to take place Six loose.
horses led by srooms. the sun play
ing ON their exquisite satiny coats and
gorgeous trappings, appear In front of
the mosque together with AN elegan,
little victoria. green lined and drawn
by a span of beautiful white horses
that the sultan may take his choice of
transportation methods.
Looks insignificant.
Now, looking very small ana insig-
niican', he appears for moment on
the red carpeted steps INTO the waiting
victoria, sword in hand, gathers UP the
reins, takes the whip. aives q sinalt
stroke and is rapidly whitfield from
sight, touching his fez To the watch
ing crowd as he passes the pavilion His
sous come running across The count
yard to JON the reeessional. An sitibi.
into their saddles Save tSo IF ihem
who arc 50 small maj they 1aW to be
helped pl their grooins and l3urhaJ-
I.ddine Who laughItgiS' returns 10 tie
same carriage III which he c;tiue
The iprses are ptt 10 the waiting car
riageS Of he barein the bands again
break out 8ito the sult;sns march and
the thousands of llos ps. the bands
themselves the sacred banners % 2ieel
Inscribed with texts from the Koran.
the gaping crowds. the pomp and
pageaniry melt away and s;elamlik is
ended fpl. ;,uD;hpfs week