Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-30
AT SULTAN'S INVESTlTURE
Girding Of Mohammed v with the
Sword Of Gilman.
SCENES WHEN TURKEY CHANGED
Ceremony Picturcsuue hut Less Mag
ninccnt Than in the Case of Other
sultnns-symboIicnI Taking
of ConstantinopIe Again.

~ el the taithtul is not crowned In the
manner Of other rulers OF nations. In
stead lie is girded with the ancient sword
OF Gilman, tho founder Of his dynasty.
This ceremonial iuvestiture in the case Of
NohamIncd took place today at the holy
mosque Of Eyub, which lies on the waters
sdge at a point where the Golden Horn
bends toward the sweet waters OF Europe.
The mosque. a magnificent example OF
oriental architecture. IS built OF white mar
bic end decorated with Persian tiles. 1t is
esteemed the hottest Mussulman temple in
Europe. When a Moslen wishes TO make
an unbeatable vow he undertakes a pill
grimage TO the mosque Of Eyub and sscrI-
fces a lamb there. To this day this sa-
cred spot remains untrodden by non-Mos-
lem feet although tho story goes that on
INC occasion a venturesome European sue
ceeded In hiding himself over night in the
building and thus Witnessed a ceremony
upon which none but the faithful may look.
story of the Mosque.
For centuries before Mohammed II
finally conquered Constantinople the ON
Iuiad callphs had attacked the city in vain.
In one Of tho sieges, that Of 65s, Evub-or,
rs the Bible spells the same name. Job
Ansari died under the walls.
He was u man held in great reverence,
IS a former companion and standard
nearer OF the prophet. He had prophesied
that he should fall and that one day a
Missulman conqueror would discover his
tomb. The exact spot was revealed in a
dream. so the legend saws. to an Imam In
the suite OF Mohammed II. the Conqueror.
SO there rose first an ornate tomb, then a
.t-oor,,n The, q y-aHrreeah ~ cofiaua
The Arabic inscription encircling the
dome OF the mosque signifies: I'm the
\ year Of the Hejira. S63 "a. D. 1880. Sultan
Mohammcd II built this mosque. May Il
resemble Paradise! It has been made the
house OF God. whose followers are to be
revered." Inside is the holy mans shrine,
within a screen hung with costly shawls.
At the head is a turban, at the foot stands
two silver candlesticks and a jeweled stool
on which the sword has been preserved
ever since the Imam seer first solemnly
girded it on Mohammed II.
Ceremony Of SoIemuity.
This then was the spot that was 10 wit
ness the soiemnity Of today. For cen
turtles the taklidi saif Cgirding with the
sword) has been a ceremony al which the
ufficiant. by exclusive privilege, has been
the appointee Of the chief Of the Mevlevi,
or dancing de-vishes. a descendant OF
Dyenal-ed-Dln Rurni, one OF the greatest
OF oriental mystics, who founded the order
in the days of the Seljuk sultans.
The chief of the Mevlevi bears the Tar
tar title of Tchelebi Qord) Of Konia in An.
atoiia, where the tekke Or monastery Is
situated. the famous blue mosque. This
hereditary head OF the Mevlevi is a person
1N..Ha.-.kt g-@1-ta,a1 All -rhA 70
familiar with the inner life OF Turkey are
aware OF the extraordinary influence the
order has possessed through all the poll.
teal vicissitudes Of the country.
The Tchelebi rarely officiates at this
function. Indeed he so commonly dele
gates his duty to a brother Of his ordei
he himself travelling only as far as scutar
that the notion arose that II he were tC
cross the Bosporus his rank would exec
that OF the Sultan himself.
Ancient usage fixes the girding Of tn,
sword for the fortieth day following tn,
proclamation Of the new sultan, a perioC
necessary for the sending of the courieri
10 Konia and the Tchelebis Journey 4
the capital; but time moves more qulckl!
now in Turkey, and not only was the in
terval reduced 10 a fortnight but Abdu
Hahn, for that is the great mans name
was induced TO perform the ceremony il
person. which departure from recognize,
precedent has no, failed 10 strengthen tn
position OF the new ruler in the eyes OF hi
orthodox subjects.
Hundreds of Thousands Out.
Brilliant weather favored today's pag
cant Fully zoo. 900 persons belonging to a
Osmanli classes crowded the narrow tor
tuous streets OF stambul from Evub I
Seraglio Point, a distance OF six mipe'
Mingled with the mass OF stambulis-
Turks, Armenians and Greeks-were me
from the outlying provinces OF the EN-
pire and Of its wilder races-Albanian
Kurds and LaEes, with here and there
swarthy Arab or a cold black African.
Rough stands had been erected at shoI
intervals, the cemeteries along the rout
being especially used for the sccommods
ton OF sightscers, among whom wer
thousands OF Moslem women, whose colore
charchafs With the fezzes, uniforms an
red flags Of the soldiery made a scene or
Of the richese coloring. II seemed 20 be
women's festival, for women were in IN
majority.
The filled the streets. the versndas an
the terraces. Those who crowded the wiz
dow sIils had raised their yashmaks. show
ing their pallid faces. with large pensiy
eyes blackencd with kohl, and the amp
folds OF the feredje framing their ehesh
gave them a curious resemblance 10 nun
Children from the public schools. NJ
hammedaus. Jews and Christians. eac
with a little fez on head and nRg IN ham
were drawn up In line In the streets. AT
while waiting sang patriotic hymns
chorus, Regiments Of infantry and squaS
rons Of cavalry with bands rned the rout
from which patrols Of Rumelian gendarm,
ruthlessly drove away the small bands
Kurds in yellow turbans and wide breeche
who had come up from the dark quarter
Of the port,
Near Saint Sophia and on the square
the Seraskisrat rose %triumphal arches hur
with bunting, but the finest ornament
The roads was the crowd, massed and clu
tered everywhere, forming a living, var
colorcd embroidery 70 the buildings.
Coming of the sultan.
/; VAS at n.SO that Mohammed V in
blue and gold generals uniform with Il
grand Gordon OF the order OF the Medjidi,
left the Dolma Bagtsh palace TO the sour
OF the Constitutional hymn" and n
boom Of twenty-one guns, He embarked
' the state barge Seyudlu. attended by 4