Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-09-11
BELIEVE N SIGNS
Turk Superstitious Regarding
Triumph Of Christianity.
Column Of Black Marble or Basait In
Mosque, Shows Sympathy When
Christian Enters, by Sweating
or Weeping.

Many superstitious beliefs are held
by Mohammedans about the final trt-
umph of Christianity over Mohamme-
danism. Such beliefs are very wide
spread throughout the Turkish EN-.
pire as well 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 can
pass Il, because there is a belief that
through it Christian prince will en-
ter and proclaim the triumph Of the
Christian religion
At CONFERENCE.-The 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, a 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 Balik-li, a place close to Con.
stantlnople, there is miraculous
healing fountain, to which every year
on 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 is in the neighborhood both
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 |erd was brought to him
that the Turks had captured Con-
stantinople.
The priest, instantly preparing to
flee, 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 tlls charge, may be seen
in the fountain TO this day, with the
marks of the gridlron on one side
for they were only half done when
they we're returned to the water.
"on one Of the two visits paid ia
Ballkli," 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 we're marks Of the
/ grldiron on them or not.
"on 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 take 4
In cuds or other vessels brought b!
themselves and pour 1t over their sores
heads. arms or legs, as the cas
may be- Often the water runs bacl
into the casks as they bend owe
them. but they and the rest of tn,
crowd 20 on dipping and drinking
and LAYING all the same.
1T Is n disgusting sight and tn,
church Is filled with steam from thei
wet clothes and bodies and stininl
with evil doors II Is not only Chris
tians who seek q cure In this Chris
tian church-Turks. and | boliev,
Jews also. frequent II. or course, !
is only the ignorant OF any race witt
do so.
AT Ak.Hissar, town which nov
occupies the site Of Thyatira, one o
the seven churches of Asia, there !
mosque that was originally q churcl
IN Byzantine times, A nlnaret ha
been added TO II to complete its trans
formation into mosque On tn
point Of the mlnaret we noticed tina
there was a metal ornament In tn
form Of n cross lnclosed in circle
and inquired of the imam NOLAN
medan prlest-how' such thin
came to be there.
Gle replied that the mosque hay
ing been originally a ChrisSa
church. It was necessary to have tn
Christian symbol to protect tn
mlnaret. which had been In DANCE
of falling. Inside the building was
column of black marble or basal
standing by ITSELF and the imam II
formed US that whenever Christia
entered the place the column shove
its sympathy by sweating or weeping
lie maintained that It was doing $
at that moment and, rubbing II wit
his hand, asked me to observe the
his palm was wet It was. can
deny It. Nor do ! pretend to e,
, plain IT,"