Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-08-29
BELIEVE IN SIGNS isAYs LOT IS HARD.
Turk Superstitious Regarding
Triumph Of Christianity.
Column Of Black Marble or Basalt In
Mosque, Shows Sympathy When
Christian Enters, by Sweating
or Weeping.

Many superstitious beliefs are held
by Mohammedans about the final tri-
umph of Christianity over Mohamme-
danism, Such beliefs are very wide
spread throughout the Turkish en-
pire as we'll as In Asia Minor
In Damascus tourists are shown
little tower, part Of great mosque
which was destroyed by fire many,
years ago, In which there Is believed
by the Turks to be copy OF the
gospel. They believe that when the
tower is opened and the holy hook re-
vealed Christianity will once more be-
come the dominant religion Of the
country Consequently the tower.
which could not be entered without
the help Of a ladder and which is said
to be Theoretically sealed, Is guarded
day and night by Turkish soldiers.
At Jerusalem also the famous gold.
en- gate Is built up so that none Gun
pass 1t, because there is belief that
through it a Christian prince will en-.
ter and proclaim the triumph OF the
Christian religion.
At Constantinople when visitors to
the mosque of st. Sophia were admit
ted to the gallery-which is not per-
mitted now. as the building Is said to
be unsafe--they were shown little
fast locked door through which, 1t Is
said. priest who was in the act OF
dispensing the holy sacrament fed,
bearing the sacred elements with him.
on the news being brought to him
that the Turks had succeeded in en-
tering the city. There he Is said to
remain to this day. waiting for the
return OF the Christian to power.
when he will come forth and finish
the sacred rite
At Balikli. a place close to Con.
stantinople, there is miraculous
healing fountain, to which every year
on a certain day crowds OF people
suffering from horrible diseases re.
sort for healing, either coming them
selves or being brought by their
friends. A great fair is held at the
same time, at which thousands of peo-
pie who do not require cure gather
to enjoy themselves with the games
and shows, feasting and making
merry.
There ia in the neighborhood both
a Greek and an Armenian hospital
and also an Armenian church. as
we'll as the Greek church In which
Is the healing fountain. The story Is
to the effect that priest was in the
act of grilling some fish for his din.
ner when word was brought to him
that the Turks had captured Con-
stantinople.
The priest, instantly preparing to
fee, tossed the fish from his grid
iron into the fountain. with the COM
mand to remain there till the Turks
were driven from the city. The fish,
faithful to this charge, may be seen
In the fountain to this day. with the
marks Of the gridiron on one side
for they were only half done when
they were returned to the water.
ION one of the two visits paid to
Balik-li" writes Lady Ramsey in the
Sunday School Times, 81 certainly
saw fish in the fountain. but the light
was too dim for me to make out
whether there were marks of the
gridiron on them or not.
ION the day Of healing the water Is
drawn from the fountain by attend
ant priests and poured into two large
casks. from which the people Jake 1t
In cuds or other vessels brought by
themselves and pour it over their sores
heads. arms or legs. as the case
may be- Often the water runs back
into the casks as they bend over
them. but they and the rest of the
crowd go on dipping and drinking
and LAYING all the same.
1T is a disgusting sight, and the
church is filled with steam from their
wet clothes and bodies and sitting
with evil cdors. It is not only Chris.
tians who seek cure in this Chris.
tian church-Turks. and believe
Jews also. frequent It. or course, 1t
is only the ignorant OF any race who
do so.
AT Ak-Hissar. a town which now
occupies the site Of Thyatira. one OF
the seven churches of Asia, there is
mosque that was originally church
in Byzantine times. A minaret has
been added to it to complete it's trans
formation into mosque. On the
point of the minaret we noticed that
there was a metal ornament In the
form of a cross Enclosed in circle,
and inquired Of the imam-Moham-
medan priest-how such b thing
came to be there.
HE replied that the mosque hav.
ing been originally a Christian
church. 1t was necessary to have the
Christian symbol to protect the
minaret, which had been in danger
of falling. Inside the building was a
column Of black marble or basalt
standing by itself. and the imam In
formed us that whenever a Christian
entered the place the column showed
its sympathy by sweating OF weeping
He maintained that it was doing 50
at that moment and, rubbing 1t with
his hand, asked me to observe that
his palm was wet! 1t was. l can't
deny It. Nor do I pretend to ex.
plain it."