El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-17
BY Polad
(Translated from the Turkish)

kkHO YOU know ne, land where
b grow the cypress and the myr-
~fIe. emblems of love and ter
ror the land where the rage of the
vulture and the love of the turtle
doves melt together in sweetness or
are exalted into crime? Do you know
the land of the cedar and the grape
vine. where the flowers are always
blooming and the sky ever clear,
where the light wing of the zephyr in
the midst of the rose garden Is always
full of fragrance where the lemon ana
olive trees are loaded with beautlful
fruit. and where the voice of the night
ingale is never silent, where colors OF
the earth and sky, though different
rival one another in beauty, where the
ocean is a deep purple, where the v1r-
gins are as sweet as the roses from
which they make their garlands,
where everything is divine except the
spirit of men? 1t is the climate OF the
orient. the land of sunshine, but the
hearts and deeds of its men are as
sonber as the last farewell OF two
lovers"
With this beautiful prelude Byron
opens the doors of the orient, but this
land no longer has its old charm. You
find neither turban nor yatagan nor
feradje The stores have killed that
The tourist no longer has even
chance of finding great genuine
guide to show him to the cafe concert
here fedora, fed the geese, to the
delight of the drunken soldiers
But, when you pass across the bridge
to go to Stamboul, you will see before
you a wonderful panorama above which
the MOSQUE of Suleiman raises its tall
spire. And when you go to visit It.
you notice that the mussulman who
leaves it after saying his prayers fixes
his eyes on the Hadjre Esved encrust
ed in the door of the turbe. The turDe
is the mausoleum of Suleiman the
Magnificent. Mahomet tells that in
the seventh heaven, the home of the
adortng Instrumentation
was Just above the Kible (the point
tow ards which you turn your face when
praying) a stone called Hafjre Esved.
One day the Lord called our father
Adam, who came, followed by his whole
offspring.
sDost thou believe in Me?'
At this question of the Almighty,
some said yes. others no. From those
who believed the Lord demanded a sig
nature which he deposited in Hadjre
Esved Later this stone was given TO
Abraham, who used it as an altar Fin
ally it was for years kept in the pagan
temple which the Arabs called Kaaba
or Kiabe Mahomet came, broke the
statues of the idols, but left the four
walls standing and ordered that every
mussulman must make pilgrimage to
Mecca and rub his forehead three times
against Hadjre Esven. For on the day
of the last Judgment, Hadjre Esved
will give up all the signatures and
then woe unto those VINO have per-
jured themselves.
The pilgrimage to Mecca, is, there
81 h. f.r.7
and promise given by our forefathers.
When a mussulman has been buriea
and the mourners have retired. the
man knocks at the done of the tomb
and among other things, says TO the
dead: do you not forget you have
sworn to believer" He refers to the
promise given by Adam and his pro-
geniture And that is why people look
with awe and respect upon the frag-
ment of Hadjre Esved encrusted IN the
door of the turbe-
When the construction of the mosque
was nearly finished, Suleiman the
Magnificent, sent for the architect and
said:
Next Friday I inteni to perform my
selamlik in the mosque, and, il 1t be
not finished. I will cut your head off !,
AS may be imagined, the architect
was very careful to hand the keys OF
the mosque TO the sulIdH the to'lo"
ing Friday When he returned from
the mosque, Suleiman sent for his first
chamberlain and asked:
How many lamps has the architect
put in the mosque?'
Fifteen thousand, sire"
"Then 1 will allow four okus of oil
for each lamp every night"
your will shall be done, SIRE
Good! What day of the week is it
today?"
Friday, sire.
Then next Friday you will perform
your namaz at st. Sophia"
Yes, sire"
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