Smyrna times., 1908-12-16
THE BLUE MOSQUE.
If Ever Color Calls, It Calls In the
Mosque of Ibrahim Aga.

Mosque of lbrahim Aga.
AS every one who visits Rome goes
to st. Peters, so every one who visits |
Cairo goes to the mosque of Moham-
med Ali in the citadel. gorgeous build
ing in a magnificent situation, the in
terror of which always makes me think |
of court functions and of the pOmp of |
life rather than of prayer and self de-
NAL. More attractive to me is the |
blue mosque" to which | returned |
again and again, enticed almost as by
the fascination of the living blue of
summer sky.
This mosque. which is the mosque of
Ibrahim Aga. but which is familiarly
known to its lovers as the blue
mosque" lies to the left of a ram.
shackle street and from the outside
does not look specially inviting. Even
when | passed through its door and
stood in the court beyond at first l felt
not its charm. All looked old and
rough, unkempt and in confusion. The
red and white stripes of the walls and
the arches of the arcade. the mean lit
tie place for ablution-a pipe and a row
| VI VI Acoo ldlIo-lGh lllG llill44 llOll d
NeapOlitan ice to second rate school.
and for a moment l thought of abrupt
ly retiring and seeking more splendid
precincts. And then 1 looked across
the court to the arcade that lay be-
yOnd, and l 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 ineffabe luster wall oe
purple and blue. of purple and blue so
strong and yet so delicate that it held
the eyes and drew the body forward.
If ever color calls, it calls in the "biue
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. l found them as lovely near
as they are lovely far off. From dis
tance they resemble n nature effect,
are almost like a bit of southern sea
or of sky a fragment of cleaning
Mediterranean seen through the pillars
Of logcia or of Sicilian 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 it is
impossible in words adequately to de-
: scribe the effect of these tiles and OF
the tiles that line to 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 beauti
full mosque. They make it unforgetta
BILE; they draw you back to it agaiI
and yet 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 il
the world; that there was joy in til,
hearts of creative artists years upoi
years ago. If you are ever in Cair,
and sink into depression. go to th
"blue mosque" and see if it does no
have upon you an uplifting moral eff
feet. And then. if you like, go oi
from it to the Gamia ell MOvayad
sometimes called FL Ahmar Che red
where you will find greater glOries
though no greater fascination. for th
tiles. hold their own among all tn
wonders of CairO.-RObert HichenS il
Century.