The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-04-11
View Of AIeppo and tho Citadel.

The accommodating butcher will com
plete the meal by sending to othel
| parts Of the bazaar for fruits, sweets
coffee and wine. About the city are
innumerable sweetmeat shops In which
one may buy delectable connections Oh
honey, fine flour and the pistachio
nuts for which the surrounding or.
chards are famous.
| Citadel Dominates the City.
| A great man-made feature domi.
mates Aleppo almost as the pyramids
dominate the plain of eliza. In the
middle Of the fiat city Its early rulers
constructed a huge mound 200 feet
high, faced its slopes with blocks Of
stone, and on the summit built a
strong citadel. 1t was this fort-capped
artificial mountain which successfully
withstood siege by the Crusaders in
1924. Though It's Notifications have
fallen into disrepair the citadel still
stands out as a distinctive feature, and
for the growing stream Of tourists 1t
will be the "Woolworth tower" from
which the ancient city may be seen
spread out within Its encircling gar
dens.
Aleppo might have a chance to be-
come a world capital If the Arabian
dream of an arab empire" or a
Greater Syria" should ever come true.
It's central location and strategic po-
sition in regard to lines Of communica-
ton might have considerable weight
over the claims Of the more metro
politan but more southerly Damascus,
the historic but easterly Bagdad, and
the more vulnerable coast towns to
the west, such as Alexandretta and
Beirut. The Turks In prewar days
considered Aleppo one of their safest
and those of them who
foresaw a possibility of a forced re-
tirement from Constantinople even
on the edge Of the desert into the capt. !
talship Of an Asiatic Turkish empire. |
Situated on the rim of the desert,
from which the surplus population has
altered in for many centuries, Aleppo |
8 predominantly oriental and Moham-
nedan. Its typical dwelling houses
Ire flat-roofed, and into its narrow
streets, above the heads Of the motley
hrOng that traverses them, hang lat
iced bow windows from which seclud-
ID ladies Of the family view the world.
The better houses have floors and
walls of stone, both covered with the
eautiful rugs which Aleppo's cara
q No hrfn froy fho Ioxd |
RS Of the East. The furniture Ii
nipple, including only dlvsns, few
hairs, table or so and many cush-
ms.
scene Of Historical Events.
Aleppo has been the scene Of many
the Incidents that go to build up
le crowded history of the Near East.
n the fringe of the Greek empire of
lie Tenth century, 1t was often fought
yer. The Egyptians held the place
vice during the next hundred years.
was one Of the most southerly
anne In 400, when with his Indian
ephants bearing archers and flame
rowers he captured and sacked II.
ater the Mamelukes Of Egypt con-
oiled the city, until dominated by the {
ttOman Turks in 1915. For three I
inbred years the Ottoman domina- I
IN was undisputed, but again during c
e past century the Egyptians reached 8
It and gripped Aleppo. holding II I
ainst the Turks from 1888 to 1S41. s
Aleppos war chapter was written
1918, when 1t marked Allenby's adj e
nee through Syria at the time of q
e armistice. There the dashing Brit a
! armored-car squadron, which had Il
Iven the Turks and Germans north t.
lrd, parked their little wheeled forts t.
d We'd with the Australian flying o.
Fps in cursing their inactivity. The h
innate point of their advance was m
) little, inconsequential-lookin rail- lie
y station at Muslimie Junction a al
V miles north of Aleppo. This place II
4 the appearance Of the meeting Of
mt Of any two unlmportant local VI
lroads in western America, but in
t was the point of great potential
portance where the rail line from
ypt met the line which, but for q 81
' minor breaks, extended west to In
Bosporus, and eastward toward CT
glad. Later the British withdrew u
|, under a mandate for Syria, the
inch took possession eud hold It
ay. 49,,