The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-10

, world 1t had a clock which was eele-
7 brated Two centuries before that on the
! strasburg Cathedral WAS made and in
one of the galleries, which was paved
with marble and onyx. stood a solid sill
Yer tree upon which were many species
Of singing birds made Of gold and sill
yer.
Grand Mosque.
Within stones throw of the citadel,
surrounded by buildings which would not
look out of place in any country town
| in France rises the mighty mosque
DIANA q Kebir 1t was built In A. d.
! 1l36. but It is in as good condition today
! as when the Moors first worshiped in it
SO years ago. The buildings of this
mosque cover about an acre and the
roof Is supported by a vast number of
columns which end in great arches hung
with many chandeliers. The buildings
run around the court. In the center Of
which Is fountain of onyx about which.
as | passed through. the Mohammedans
were sitting and washing themselves be-
Tore going in to pray. We We're allowed
to enter the mosque but had first to put
ON slippers and we walked ahGnt through
the worshipers who were kneeling on
their prayer rugs and bowling again and
again as they looked toward Mecca
Ghost of Candy Man.
When Tlemcen was in the height of its
glory it had seventy mosques One of the
most famous WAS built in honor of a con-
fecitoner saint who preached to the chill
dren as they gathered around his candy
stall and whom. | doubt not, he attract
cd by giving them sweets. He became
SO popular that The sultan made him a
tutor to his three SONS This angered
the grand yiaier. and he had The candy
saint condemned as a soreerer and be-
headed outside the gates. Shortly after
,f.4 10 ,rl,a Of tI,, "a, int
peared before the sultan and made a COM
plant. and the sultan tied up the grand
Visfer hand and foot and threw him into
a vast of cement. As the cement har-
dened the grand viser hardened with 1t,
and he was thus buried alive in a solid
block of stone. After this the sultan
built the mosque, which remains to this
day. This happened just 1870 odd years
before Columbus discovered America. [
have no doubt 1t is true, for l saw the
mosque here with my own matter of fact
American eyes.
Another mosque built in 1898, was in
honor Of an Arab lawyer. 1t contains
some Of the most exquisite Moorish work
of the world. and it is perhaps the finest
monument and lawyer has ever had. The
lawyer it commentaries is said 10 have
been a man of truth.
Sidi Bou Medn.
oIt u lIt IIOSL interesting VI the
mosques lies several miles from Tlemeen,
on the side of the mountains. 1t is that
of Sid Bou Medn. one of the most IA
nous scholars of the Moorish civillzatin
of 800 years ago. This man studied at
Granada and Fee, and then Travelled to
Mecca He lectured at Bagbad. Seville
and Cordova, and ended his career by
lecturing here. This mosque Is wonder
of fine workmanship. 1t is hoored with
mosaic its doors are of bronze and it's
decorations are of Moorish lace work OF
wonderful patterns Near it there was a
famous Moorish college, and while |
walked through the mosque itself | could
hear the boys singing out their Koran as
they swayed back and forth, going over
and over the Arabic sentences written ON
their wooden states | found many tur-
baned worshipers at prayers inside. and
the redfaced keeper grew quite angry
when | asked If | might make their
photographs.
On my way back TO town, | stopped
at an Arab cafe and drank coffee with a
half dozen dark-faeed Berbers who had
just left the mosque. They were bearded
and turbaned, They had taken off their
slippers as they sat down to drink, |
observed that their bare feet were clean
and the toe nails almost as well cared