The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-07-12
V v Y THIN a mile or two Of AL
M giers, and principally in
w the suburbs of Mustapha

" " the suburbs of Mustapha
w SUPERIOR, are many gar
dens old and new grouped upon the
hillside and mostly facing the north,
whence they derive the GOODNESS of the
breezes waited across the sea. The
climate is admirably suited to the ma
jOrity Of what are generally classified
as sub-tropical plants, and there seems
to be no limit to the fine effects of
plant grouping that may be produced.
Here in former days the weather.
Moors had their villas, setting out
their garden courts and terraces upon
the rising ground, and forcing every
spring to deliver its precious fluid to
the thirsty land. The want of water
is a great natural difficulty of the town,
and indeed of the whole province, and
the Moors have elaborated their sys-
tenn of irrigation principally by means
of aqueducts, some of which are Of
very ancient construction.
The Moorish country house is always
placed upon an admirably chosen site,
Its high walls forming an effective
screen from indiscreet eyes, writes Fl.
lingo Triggs in Country Life. Few
flowers are cultivated in its gardens,
and those that find q place are chosen
for their bright color and the sweet
ness of their scent-roses, lilies, jas
mine, ~violets, pinks and geraniums.
Once planted, they are allowed to
rOmp over trellis and pergola without
restraint. Flat, terraced roofs, small
windows and walled-in courts sum up
the features of every house, and there
is complete ir%regularity both In the ar
r%angement of the rooms and in their
shape. Except by accident, no two
lines are ever parallel, the shape Of the
house being decided by the contour Of
the site, whatever that may be. The
only effort at regularity is to give to
the central court a form somewhat ap-
preaching a square. These interior
courts are real gardens In the sense of
being delightful retreats where the
glare and heat of the day are tempered
by the overspreadin@ trellis of green
cry into a soft mysterious light and
pervading freshness.
The architecture is Characteristic of
the race, elegant rather than grand |;
suggesting a delicate and graceful
taste and a disposition to indolent en-
joyment. The planning of the houses
seems to derive more from Roman
than Byzantine origins. The former
gave the open courts, the latter some
Of the forms of decoration used in the
treatment Of floor and wall surfaces.
Interiors Always %LivabIe."
Arab writer's tell us that the private
houses Of Damascus were built after
the fashion of the later Roman houses,
whereas In Persia, and especially In
Bagdad, theN ancient Persian houses
served as an example. The principles
that governed the planning Of both
Arab and Moorish houses were derived
from classic models; a featureless ex-
terror and an eminently 'livable" in.
terror marked the ancient house of
Pompeii just as they characterize the
Moorish house Of Algiers. Such ex-
ternal ornamentation as there may be
is concentrated upon the entrance.
The apartments are grouped round
| courts and gardens with an absolute
| separation of the rooms for either sex,
every effort being made to ecu pri-
vacy both from the streets outside
and from neighboring buildings. To
this end the windows and bays of the
upper floors are carefully screened by
latticed meshrebeeyehs, whencs the
dark-eyed beauties. Of the harem might
gaze unseen upon the busy life Of the
streets, or ceremonies and entertain
ments of the courts below.
The approach to the harem is usual
ly arranged from a special court, or If
only one exists, In the part most re-
mote from the entrance to the house.
1t is usually through a dark vestibule
with a seat for the porter. carefully
planned to prevent a direct view be-
ing obtained into the building.
Beautiful Djenan-ei-Mufti.
Djenan-el-Mufti, In Mustapha Su-
perieur, the residence Of Mrs. f. w.
Arthur, was built between the years
~I590-1593 by Hadj-C haban Pasha, who
was later recalled to Constantinople
and became hey of Cyprus. The pres
ent owner has succeeded In restoring
the best characteristics Of the Moorish
architecture In a most praiseworthy