DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6552#0032
OPERATIONS CARRIED ON AT G1ZEII.
21
illuminated, and full of people, and the shops open for the
sale of refreshments, but not a woman was to be seen
even at the windows. The principal mosques were also
lighted up; and various processions with flambeaux, iron
cases filled with lighted wood, banners, and Turkish
music, paraded during the whole night from mosque to
mosque, reciting portions of the Koran, and paying com-
plimentory visits to the chief officers of the different
religious establishments, who sat for that purpose without
the buildings, attended by lights and music. A large
mosque adjoined Mr. Hill's hotel, and the officers be-
longing to it were stationed immediately beneath the
windows of my room7 to receive the successive deputa-
tions ; which advanced in a noisy and tumultuous manner,
till they were within twenty or thirty paces of those
whom they intended to visit, when they halted, and four
or five individuals advanced and delivered a sort of ad-
dress, which ended in a salutation. They then returned
to their party, the bawling and clamour were resumed,
and the cavalcade moved off amidst the shouts and ex-
clamations of those whom it had come to compliment;
a"d in this manner one procession after another arrived
during the whole night, so that the town was not quiet
till three o'clock in the morning.
7 These officers were old men of the most wretched description, and
livcd in an underground apartment below the mosque. They did not
appear to have much employment, but were seated during the greater
part of the day upon mats in a shady corner of the street, and were
employed in selling small quantities of tobacco to the passengers. The
degraded condition of the inhabitants of these countries is therefore
easily accounted for; and the same observations will unhappily apply to
Uie state of the common people of Ireland, and of most ltoman Catholic
countries.
21
illuminated, and full of people, and the shops open for the
sale of refreshments, but not a woman was to be seen
even at the windows. The principal mosques were also
lighted up; and various processions with flambeaux, iron
cases filled with lighted wood, banners, and Turkish
music, paraded during the whole night from mosque to
mosque, reciting portions of the Koran, and paying com-
plimentory visits to the chief officers of the different
religious establishments, who sat for that purpose without
the buildings, attended by lights and music. A large
mosque adjoined Mr. Hill's hotel, and the officers be-
longing to it were stationed immediately beneath the
windows of my room7 to receive the successive deputa-
tions ; which advanced in a noisy and tumultuous manner,
till they were within twenty or thirty paces of those
whom they intended to visit, when they halted, and four
or five individuals advanced and delivered a sort of ad-
dress, which ended in a salutation. They then returned
to their party, the bawling and clamour were resumed,
and the cavalcade moved off amidst the shouts and ex-
clamations of those whom it had come to compliment;
a"d in this manner one procession after another arrived
during the whole night, so that the town was not quiet
till three o'clock in the morning.
7 These officers were old men of the most wretched description, and
livcd in an underground apartment below the mosque. They did not
appear to have much employment, but were seated during the greater
part of the day upon mats in a shady corner of the street, and were
employed in selling small quantities of tobacco to the passengers. The
degraded condition of the inhabitants of these countries is therefore
easily accounted for; and the same observations will unhappily apply to
Uie state of the common people of Ireland, and of most ltoman Catholic
countries.