The Detroit times., 1917-05-05
Picturesque vi oslo m
City Is Won By the
Allies Forces
HAS ONLY STEP
TOWER IN WORLD
Town Also Has Many
Religious and POliti-
cal Associations
Sy TIE RELIGIOUS RAMBLER.

cape religious slgnlncance hhu Hbso
Citations few days ago a meager
dispatch reported that Gen. Maudes
forces had taken the railway sta
ton az Samsrra, which meant moth
Ing except, vaguely, progress. 20
readers IN the western hemisphere
In India and Persia and the eau.
| cssus however. the news arouses
profound interest. for Il Affects the
deepest religious associations OK All
Shah Moslems. Ssmarra Is g.
shrine city containing the tomb o.
the Twelfth Imam. the one who IL
10 come again. Upon this fact de-
pend various serious political con
slderations.
That is not the only fac, that
makes Ssmarra-W which probably
less than score OF Americans have
ever seen-one OF the points OF
especial interest in the days news
Il il also The terminus OF the Bag
dad end OF The famous Bagdad rail
way: II contains the worlds only
rigEurat. or Babylonian step-tower
/ and e Is The one city on earth that
is built wholly ont Of material dug
/ from the ruins OF IS own departed
grandeur
Incidentally, Samarra was, FOR q
few years preceding the war, Ger
man outpost, two young military
archseologists there maintaining
station for the excavation and study
OF ancient Islamic art-and other
things
Most" Is a word that depends en-
tirely upon opinion 90 when I say
/ that Samarra Il the most plctur
ssque city in the world. ! am only
expressing a personal view How
ever, am able 10 compare il with
the great cities OF all the east from
Cairo 10 Toxic. not emitting Disr-
bekir and Damascus and Bagdad
Samarra lies about 75 miles above
Bagdad on the left bank Of the
/ Ttgris river. II is OF gray burnt
clay bricks. It's turreted walls ris-
ing out OF a gray waste, which
/ marks the beginning OF the great
alluyial plain OF Mesopotamia only
two objects rise above the dead
level OF the low.lying city the dome
/ and mlnarets OF the great mosque.
/ the most beautiful I have ever seen
and the brick ziggurat. modelled on
the tower OF Babel pattern which
has been standing since about $50
Old Samarra was once the capital
OF the Moslem world II was built
I by the son % Haroun al Rashid.
the hero Of The Arabian Nights.
and was then a city OF splendor. tho
ruins Of antiquity and the riches OF
the orient having been layishly
: drawn upon 70 give f. magnifcence
After the glory of The old city de-
parted, amid many wars. the pres.
en- ssmarra was rebuilt and en-
tirely on % the ruins OF he old
Outside Of The city the ground is
pit'ed as With smallpox, because the
natives have been digging from me
ancient ruins bricks and marbles
for their present houses Practical.
~ every BIZ ~ construction IN the
entire city from he siory book
walls 20 the latest residence. is
made Of eXcsvated material r ISL
easter % dig than 10 create The
eject Is peculiarly soft and Uni
form grayness 70 the city
Some travellers who have dared
Arabia and Mesopotsmia declare
that II g. death for a European
Christian = essay 20 enter this
fanatlcal Shah city, but I was
there and am still living. even
stood long al the gate and looked
in upon the gorgeous green and gold
facade OF the great mosque. Pre-
Stunning upon the friendlinsss OF The
crowd that surrounded me. rashly
made signs aeNng permission 10
enter whereupon al friendllness
vanished
This mosque Is one ~ the holy
spots % The Moslem faith. For Il
contains The remains OF -he tenth
and twelfth imams OF the Shah sect
~ Moslems Tho twelfth was No
hammed 20 Mahdi. the last OF the
line az AL soninlaw OF NOLAN
med and the faithful expect him
10 return again 20 conquer the world
20 the Shah faith.
Thirty thousand pilgrims year
have visited Samarra. the perma-
nsnt population OF which is only
about $500 All OF them come from
Persia and India and the Cauca-
sus. where shiah Moslems center
They differ from the sunnis. or
orthodox" In that they accept Ali.
who was husband OF Fstima. 40.
hsmmed's only child, and himself
the cousin Of the prophet. a. AZ
most coordinate with The latter
Their daily CRY from minarets o.
There IL no God but Cod and Mo
manned IL his prophet and All bis
vicegerent The Turks are all
Sunnis. and despise the shishs. who
IN turn. look upon the Turks a.
aliens and tyraDts. Indian and Per
sian Moslerns feel that Britain is