Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1908-12-24
the GLUE MOSQUE.
N Ever Color Calls, n cslls IN ths
Nosaus cf lbrahim Aos,


AZ every one who visits tome goes
to ~ Peters. so every one who visits
/ Cairo uUes io ihe mosque VI Moham
med Az IN the citadel. n gorgeous bulld
Inc Ia q magnificent situation. the In
ierlor of which always makes me think
Of court functions aud OF The pomp %
life rather than " prayer ANA self 1e
NAL More attractive to me is ihc
"blue mosque" to which 4 returned
again aud again. cntlCud almost MS bf
the fascination Of the living blue Of 10
/ summer sky
This mosque. which Is the mosque DOL.
/ ihrahim Aga but which Is familiu Z
known 10 It's lovers MS the "hIlc
mosque" lies to the left Of a RAN.
shacllc street aud from the outside
does not look specially inviting Even
when passed through Co., door aud
stood IN the court beyond at first fclt
not its charm. All looked old ans
rough. unkempt and In confusion Tine
red and white stripes OF the walls ana
the arches of the arcade. the mean llt.
tie place for ablution-a pipe aud a row
Of brass taps the mind from a
| Ncapolitan ice to,a second rate school.
and for moment thought Of abrupt.
ly retiring and seeking more splendid
precincts. And then looked across
the court to the arcade that lay be-
yond. and | saw the exquisite love
color Of the marvellous tiles that give
this mosque its name.
The huge pillars Of this arcade are
striped and ugly. but between them
shone with an ineffable luster wall Of
purple and blie. OF purple and blue so
strong and yet so delicate that II held
the eyes aud drew the body forward.
II ever color calls. II calls In the "blue
mosque" Of Ibrahim Aga. And when
had crossed the court, when ! stood
beside the pulpit, with Its delicious
wooden folding doors. and studied the
tiles of which this wonderful wall Is
composed found them as lovely near
as they are lovely far Off From dis
lance they resemble nature effect.
are almost like a bit Of southern sea
or OF sky. a fragment of cleaning
Mediterranean seen through the pillars
Of a loggia or Of Sicllian blue watching
over Etna in the long summer days.
When one is close TO them they are
miracle OF art. The background OF
them is a milky white upon which Is
an elaborate pattern Of purple and
blue. generally conventional and rep.
resentative Of no known object. but
occasionally showing tall trees some
what resembling expresses But 1t is
impossible in words adequately to de-
scribe the effect Of these tiles and of
the tiles that line 10 the very roof the
tomb house on the right of the court.
They are like a cry OF ecstasy going
up in this otherwise not very beautl-
full mosque. They make 1t unforgetta.
bic; they draw you back To It again
and vet again. ON the darkest day Of
winter they set something OF summer
there. In the saddest moment they
proclaim the fact that there Is Joy in
the world; that there was joy in the
hearts of creative artists years upon
years ago. II you are ever in Cairo
and sink into depression. go to the
blue mosque" and see If 1t does not
have upon YOU an uplifting moral eff
feet And then. If You like, go on
from II to the Gamia ell Movayad.
sometimes called FL Ahmar the redl.
where You will find greater glories,
though no greater fascination. for the
tiles, hold their own among all the
wonders of Cairo Robert Kitchens In
Century