TIIE OMATTA 8T7NPAY BEE: . JANUARY 20, 1911.'
JIM 1)11 '1-1 II. JL 'I. JUll
Interesting Sights in Damascus, Oldest City in the World
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(Copyright, 1911, by Franlc G. Carpenter.)
AMASCUS Stand with me on the slopa
of the Lebanon mountains and take a
look over Damascus. We have climbed
the road which was cut out for Kaiser
Wilhelm, the emperor of Germany,
when he viBlted this region ten years
ago, and are now on a bare, loft tiin,
which the Mohammedans consider one of the holy
pots of the world. It Is where Mohammed stood and
gazed at the magnificent town which Damascus wait
In his day. He stayed here for hours, and, then,
turning away with a sigh, said:
I dare not go In. Men can enter paradise but
once, and If I go Into Damascus, this paradise on
earth, I shall not be able to enter the paradise of
the hereafter In heaven."
The Oldest City of the World.
According to the Mohammedans, Abraham first
received the divine revelation of the unity of God id
Damascus, and Josephus says that the town was
founded by Uz, the great-great-grandson of Noah.
The Bible tells us that Abraham had a steward who
came from Damascus, and we know that King David
i besieged and conquered the place. There Is no doubt
' that It Is one of the oldest, if not the very oldest,
J town upon earth. It was In existence before the days
of Rameses, before Alexandria sprang Into greatness
at the mouth of the Nile, and while Nebuchadnezzar
was chewing grass In the gardens of Babylon. It was
. bid before Athens had begun to be, and was already
gray-haired when Rome was a baby. It antedates any
of the dtles of the present, and It Is now one of the
I most thriving centers of the Mohammedan world.
The Rivers of Naaman.
mascus lies on the eastern side of the Lebanon
fiiMfintainB about 150 miles northeast of Jerusalem,
and, as the crow flies, abttit fifty-three miles from the
Mediterranean sea. It Is an oasis city, being sur-
rounded by deserts. It- is fed by two rivers which
flow out of great springs in the mountains of Lebanon
i and make green this sandy plain in which they are
lost. These two are the Abana and Pharpar of the
Bible. You remember how Naaman, the leper, re
ferred to them when Ellsha told htm to go and wash
In the Jordan seven times and his flesh would be
clean. Whereupon Naaman replied:
"Are not Abana and Pharpar rivers of Damascus
better than all the waters of Israel T May I not wash
In them and be clean?" So he turned and went away
In a rage.
You remember also how one of hts servants told
Naaman that Ellsha was asking a little thing of him
and how he then went down and bathed In the Jordan,
"and his flesh came again, like unto the flesh of a
little child, and be was clean."
Aa we stand on the hill of Mohammed at the
northwest end of the city and look at Damascus we
do not wonder at Naaman's contempt of the Jordan.
The latter is a winding rocky, semi-alkaline stream,
which flows through a desert, the great gorge or de
pression of Ghor. It has a scanty vegetation along its
banks and it flows through a valley of death to the
Great salt sea known as "The Dead Sea." The Abana
and Pharpar are pure mountain streams, and the
'Abana Is one of the most beautiful of the whole
world. I bave traveled along It almost to its source.
It la a rushing river of pure, clear, green water, which
spreads life over all that it touches. Together with the
Pharpar It makes green the great plain which lies
below us and builds up the orchards of almonds, apri
cots, apples and the rich crops which cover it, as
well as the white city of Damascus which lies in its
center.
A Pearl, a Spoon or a Camel. w '
Now, turn your eyes to the city Itself. With its
gardens and orchards surrounded by deserts it lies
under these magnificent mountains. There are silver
poplars within and without and the green shines over
the houses. The town has been compared to a pearl.
It Is shaped very like one. My guide, Shammas, who
Stands beside me, tells me it looks like a camel, and
a second glance shows me the head and neck of the
beast reaching out to a point where lies a railway
station of the road going to Mecca. The road Itself
Is the long neclr of the camel and farther back is the
body, the minarets forming the hump. "Now, look
again," says Shammls, "and see if it Is not like a
fan" "Very much so," I reply, "and it Is also like a
great spoon with a long slender handle and large oval
bowl."
To come down to details, Damascus is an expanse
of pearly white, tinged with the pink of its roofs.
The buildings rise high over the green, and out of
them, like fingers pointing to heaven, are the minarets
of 200 tuosques, with the mighty dome of the great
mosque in the center. At the right of the latter are
the arched roofs of bazaars which have been famous
for ages, and away off from the rest Is a big yellow
building with a roof of red tiles. That Is the center of
Mohammedan fanaticism. It is the barracks where
thousands of Moslem soldiers are quartered. More
than 12.000 troops are kept there, and In a time of
uprisings and massacres, such as that of last spring,
they form the greatest danger to Christians.
Damascus is a Mohammedan city. It h about
300,000 people and four-fifths of them follow the
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prophet. It has also about 30,000 Greeks, 8,000 Jews
and lesser numbers of Syrians, Armenians, Persians
and Druses. The city has Mohammedan schools and
the students are as dangerous as those who denounced
Colonel Roosevelt In the University at Cairo'. These
people are very devout. One sees them reading their
Korans in their shops and at every moBque I observe
a score or more of the faithful washing themselves
before they, go Into their, prayers. The mosques are
full of turbaned old men and young men, who all pray
singly and in groups, and In many one finds com
panies of worshipers under a leader. There are also
male classes listening to the explanation of the Koran
by the priests and there are men reading singly.
The Great Mosque of Damascus.
But come down with me from the hill and take
a stroll through ' the city. This Is Sunday, and we
shall first visit the mosques. There are seventy large
ones, where sermons are preached every Friday, and
177 which might be called chapels, connected with
which are Mohammedan schools. Many of these
mosques bave libraries and in all of them the chief
study taught Is theology, including the Koran and
the traditions of the prophets. After that comes law,
and then philosophy, logic and grammar. Modern
sciences are unknown and all other branches of learn
ing are entirely neglected.
The chief center of Moslem religious life is the
Great mosque. This Is one of the finest of Moham
medan churches. It stands right in the center of
the city and it covers about seven . acres, or almost
twice as much space as the capltol at Washington. It
has a great court paved with marble, in which is a
fountain, said to mark the half-way station on the
route from Constantinople to Mecca. It is there that
worshipers bathe certain parts of their persons be
fore going into their prayers. On the other side of
this enormous court is the mosque proper, the oblong
floor of which covers over an acre. Many great col
limns uphold Its roof and other columns stand be
tween it and the court.
In a Mohammedan Church.
Entering this room we find 2,000 men and per
haps 100 women at prayer. Nevertheless the building
seems empty. The worshipers are scattered over the
floor. The women are alone and the men dare not
look at them. They are closely veiled and they do
not notice us as we go by. Most of the men are on
their knees or sitting upon the floor. All have re
moved their shoes before they came into the church
and they now lie beside or in front of them. The floor
is covered with costly rugs, the presents from devout
Mohammedans. Think of roofing a large field, up
holding the roof by mighty columns and then carpet
ing that field with oriental rugs, any one of which
would be fit to hang upon your wall as a treasure,
and you have some of the outlines of the picture
which now lies before us.
There are strange things in the mosque. In its
center is a marble chapel, supposed to stand over the
ashes of John the Baptist. Men are sitting before
the chapel, with their heads facing Mecca and they
rise and fall as they pray to John the Baptist, the
forerunner of Christ, and to Mohammed as the
prophet of God. It is thus that religion, like politics,
makes strange bedfellows.
Heart of the Moliammedan World.
Damascus is the heart of the Mohammedan
world. At its back is Persia, altogether Mohammedan.
At its south Palestine and Arabia which are more
Moslem than Christian, while at the north are
other realms of the sultan Turkey in Asia and
Europe. All around it the people are Mohammedans,
who hate the Christians, and massacre them when
ever they can. This"waa the case last spring, when
thousands were killed and the most terrible slaughter
of Christians by heathens known to the world took
place In this region. Multitudes were massacred
and it was only because the great Christian nations of .
Europe were afraid of their pocketbooks and of
the loss of that balance of power which might result
from a war that the Turkish empire was not wiped
out as a punishment therefor. The matter was hushed
up and but little of the true story was told in the
papers. I refer to the bloodshed which took place
throughout Asia Minor when the Sultan Abdul Hamld.
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WM XET XX3WTT IN" A "BASKET
was overthrown and the present sultan and govern
ment put in its place.
Another strange object in the Great mosque Is
the holy tent of the pilgrim caravan. This is used
during the pilgrimage to Mecca which generally starts
at Damascus. This pilgrimage every Moslem Is bound
to tako once in his life and the followers of the
prophet come from all parts at a certain time of the
year, and ride or march toward their holy city.
As they approach Mecca they take off their
clothes, laying aside everything from the soles of their
feet to the crowns of their heads. Then they put on
aprons, and carrying onlyxa piece of cloth over the
left shoulder, walk into the city. -They march around
the Kaaba and kiss the black stone. They pelt Satan
with rocks in the Valley of Mina and end their pil
grimage with a great sacrificial feast, at which time
the end of Lent comes and the festival of Belram
begins.
I have not seen these pilgrimages, but they are
said to be interesting to an extreme. Many of the rich
go on camel litters something like the mule litters
used in north China. These are beds slung between
poles which are fastened to camels, one going before
and the other behind and trained to keep step. The
camels are adorned with coins, shells and other or
naments for the occasion and hundreds of small bells
jingle as they march. In advance of the procession
Is a large camel litter hung with green cloth and
embroidered with gold. This contains the green flag
of the prophet and one of the oldest copies of the
Koran now In existence. In addition to the wor
shipers themselves the caravan has in escort of sol
diers and Bedouins There are also, many half-naked
dervishes, who sing and howl and cut themselves,
shouting out texts from the Koran, as they go on their
way.
Within the past few months the railroad which
has been building from Damascus to Mecca has been
almost completed and It is a question whether this
will not cause this great caravan to become a thing
of the past as far as the travel between Damascus and
Mecca is concerned. A pilgrimage also starts out
from Cairo and one of these not long ago was headed
by the present khedlve.
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At Fa tl ma's Tomb.
During my stay here I bave gone out to the
cemetery to take a look at the tomb of Mohammed's
favorite daughter. As I remember it, Mohammed had
several wives, in addition to the four which he al
lows to each of his followers. His first wife was
Khadija, the widow whose fortune first made him
prominent, and whose servant he was. As I remem
ber it she was his first convert. Two of his other
wives and Fatima are burled here, and Thursdays
many veiled women come to mourn at their graves.
Railroad Men
i AMES J. HILL'S profit-sharing plan is so
popular that the Great Northern Em
ployes' Investment company faces the
problem of issuing more certificates or
keeping many employes on the waiting
list, according to the St. Paul Pioneer
Press. From the fact that only
about 180 shares of Great Northern stock are
held in the treasury, covering some old Manitoba
shares which cannot be obtained and converted, it
seems the only way the demands of several hundred
employes can be satisfied Is by issuing additional cap
ital stock. There Is $1,000,000 capital stock taken
out by employes in Investment certificates in this man
ner, to which another $1,000,000 easily could be
added,' but whether it will be done or not rests with
the board of directors of the Great Northern.
Six or seven years ago 'Jr. Hill devised a plan
whereby employes could share in the prosperity of the
road. Capital stock amounting to $1,000,000 was
taken out of the treasury and distributed as certifi
cates by the investment company at $10 a share and
In multiples of ten, not to exceed $5,000 for one
employe.
The employes get these certificates at par and get
.7 per cent dividend on them. Just as If they held the
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Fattraa's tomb Is a Itttle domed mosque about fifteen
feet square with a praying alcove facing toward Mecca.
Fatima lies in a marble sarcophagus, which stands on
a pedestal covered with green velvet and with a piece
of green cloth at its head. As I looked at the tomb I
saw several rags tied to the bars of the window and
was told that they were put there as the pledges of
sick persons showing that they would give money to
the mosque if they should be cured.
The tomb of Saladln, the great Mohammedan
general who fought Europe during the crusades, is also
in Damascus. When the emperor of Germany came
here he wished to lay a crown of gold on' It, but this
was contrary to the principle of the Mohammedan re
ligion, which will not allow such things in their
mosque. Therefore they built an alcove running from
the mosque outside and It Is there that this crown
Is now kept under glass doors.
In the Footsteps of St. Paul.
I have spent some time during my stay in Da
mascus in hunting up the footsteps of St. Paul, the
apostle. You will remember that he was one of the
Jewish officials, and was "breathing out threatening
and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord" when
he got the high priest to give him letters to the syna
gogues of Damascus, that he might bring such Chris
tians as he found there to Jerusalem for trial, lie was
Want Profits
regular shares. Between dividend dates, - however,
the rate is 6 per cent, but the employes generally have
been holding on to their certificates, so that 7 per cent
is the general rate of interest paid.
For a time employes looked askance at the plan,
falling to grasp the benefits. But after several hun
dred had invested money In the certificates it was not
long before there was a rush. Now there is a long
waiting list, satisfied only now and then as one or
the other investor "cashes In."
An employe can withdraw and buy certificates
again, provided there Is a good reason. He Is pre
vented, however, from UBtng the investment company
as a temporary place of safety. Many Great Northern
employes keep on accumulating certificates until they
have enough money saved to buy homes or regular
Great Northern stock. In which event they are allowed
to reopen an account with the Investment company.
When leaving the employ of the company the investor
is called on to turn In his certificates.
It Is said that there are many employes who have
Invested In certificates up to the limit $5,000. Lo
comotive engineers are the chief Investors, as a class,
although firemen, switchmen and other employes are
generally interested. -
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THE ''STREET CALLED STRAIGHT
n his way here and was not far from the city when
he light from heaven shined round him and blinded
him and the Lord said unto him:
"I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; It is hard
for thee to kick against the pricks."
You remember how the blind Paul, or Saul, as
he was then called, was led into Damascus and taken
to the house of a man named Ananias, not the hus
band of Sapphlra, however, nor any associate of the
champion liar of history. You recall how when he
came there he again received his sight and, being
converted, was baptized. It was the house of this
Ananias, according to my guide and the guide books,
that I visited the other day. I found the Ananias of
the present by no means averse to a small gift of
silver. He took all my spare change, and then asked
for more. I later discovered that the authenticity of
the house is questioned, and there is another Ananias
house, which is now used as a chapel. I looked for the
house of Naaman the Syrian, and was shown an old
building which is occupied by lepers.
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In the Street Called Straight.
It was in the street called Straight that Ananias
met Paul. This Is one of the principal highways of
the Damascus of today. It leads from the chief gate
on the south to the bazars, aad is about the only
straight street In the city. It goes right through Da
mascus, and is so wide that two or three carriages
ran pass within it. It is the center of traffic, and
while there I saw caravans of camels, donkeys and
horses bringing in and taking out all kinds of goods.
One line of camels was loaded with poplar trees as
long as a telegraph pole, the ends of whicr dragged
the road as they walked. Behind them came donkeys
with panniers of green cucumbers and horses loaded
with baskets of Jaffa oranges, each as big as the head
of a baby. I mean the oranges. A mule followed the
horses. It was loaded with butter from the Interior,
the butter being packed in black leather bottles of the
shape and size of a tin dinner bucket.
L Where 8t. Paul Wan Let Down in a Basket.
St. Paul had a lively time in Damascus. He
preached in the synagogue and confounded the Jews.
After a while the Jews took counsel to kill him, and
they watched the gates day and night for thai purpose.
It was then that his friends took blm by night and let
him down over the wall in a basket. You may read
about this In Acts IX, and in Corinthians II, 11. Paul
himself states that the governor of the city sent a gar
rison to arrest him, and that it was through a win
dow In the wall that he was let down in a basket and
escaped.
This very place is now shown, and I have made a
photograph of the spot The wall Is a great structure
of stone, with a mud wall on top. There is a bouse
on the top at the place indicated. This has windows
with great bars across them, and it Is very easy to
imagine how St. Paul might have been let down from
such a place when he made his escape.
FRANK O. CARPENTER,
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