Show LIT am aw 1 I M AM V 40 M ff V IN ac IT 0 5 au 2 r 4 or Z z i I 1 S N wm 13 I 1 1 7 li roof of the straight street in damascus prepared by the national geographic society washington D C when france obtained the mandate for syria after the world war she fell heir to what is reputed to be the oldest living city in the world damascus nearly years ago the writer of genesis mentioned this old city and spoke of it as a place of note it existed when the pharaohs Phara Phar aolis ruled over egypt it probably saw babylon als rise aud and certainly it saw that proud city fall and it has lived as other world famous places about it have passed into oblivion or lost their glory memphis thebes nineveh sardis tyre sidon jerusalem susa Epli ephesus esus a long procession of mighty cities situated at the he head ad of arabia near the cast end of the mediterranean and on the land route between egypt and the rest of africa on one hand and asia and europe on the other damascus occupied a position in which it could not dot avoid importance with the establishment of mohammedanism aloha in me it took on increased importance as the assembling point for the final long crossing of the desert sands to holy mecca alecca and when it Is added that the city Is encompassed by a fertile plain through which flows an abundance of water its early consequence its virility and its long life can easily be understood der stood it Is set in the oasis of oades a grove more than GO 50 miles I 1 in a circuit of nut and fruit trees interspersed persed with gardens of vegetables no wonder the Bedou bedouins ins from the sandy stretches of arabia and syi syria la ballel it the pearl of the desert la iff recent times damascus was the second city in turkey being surpassed in size and importance only by constantinople stantin ople now aleppo also in old turkish territory and since the war a part too of french syria has about overtaken damascus in size but daru damascus acus hoary traditions will long give it first place in the hearts of the last hast fascination of its streets damascus la Is the rendezvous of peoples from all parts of the aloham mohammedan world one cannot be ion long on its streets without being interested in the motley crowd of humanity that swarm through them and in spite of creed and nationality manage to keep sweet tempered the urban damascene rubs against the swarthy sun burnt son of the desert without even a word of scorn or anger the mohammedan shoulders the th jew as it if they were brothers in the faith the spotless ep otless visitor from the occident jostles the not ary acy too cleant peasant from the surrounding villages while persians moors afghans indiana indian egyptians sudanese and others from many parts of the globe hurry along ill all intent on something of importance that has brought them to this metropolis metro tro polis of the orient on the streets are to be seen ven ders of almost everything under the sun especially in the way of eatables and to those who are familiar with the value of the goods offered for sale the words nords I 1 of the native visitor are plain nhen v hen lie he informs you that in damascus you can sup or breakfast tor for nothing because of the little cost of food on the same street within a few yards of each other oilier may be seen the vender of cucumbers with his wares fresh froni the garden exposed on a donkeys back when the load was sold fold in prewar pre war lays days it brought between 20 and 30 cents the bread seller with his warm warin cakes of bread on it a tray testing on a stand rendy ready to supply the hungry with a good sized loeff for a cent and the vendor vender of milk who for another cent will give you a largo large basin of oe sweetened milk in which to soak sour loaf at different seasons you may fare well at little cost on off melon 3 grapes apricots plums peaches apples oranges figs etc all the products of the gardens and orchards around the city all due to the river barada rut some will ask whence comes all this abundance for in no other part of syria or Palest palestine lne Is 19 there such a profusion of fruit and vegetables at such low the cabrit cau Is the abundant water supply provided by the ever flowing and life producing river barada tho the abana of the bible rising some miles nor northwest of the tha city the river Is conducted to all parts of damascus through thousands ol of channels it Is also tapped to irrigate the gardens orchards and fields di outside the city that are constantly under cultivation to supply the needs of the inhabitants there are many pleasant spots by the rivers side whither the da ma scenes resort after the work and business of the day to pass an hour over the coffee cup or the ever accept able water pipe as they talk over the news of the day or the doings of the outer world as revealed to them through the arabic or turkish papers would you investigate closer some of the most primitive and interesting doings of the damascene turn aside to the place where the famous damascus curtains are made and there in semidarkness you hilll find dozens ol of lads ads and men engaged in weaving these requisites of the home on the tha most primitive of looms and yet they are able to produce an article that NN will ill coil compete pete with anything from the most complete and up to date factory in europe or would you see how thousands of bushels of flour and measures of oil are produced you have only to turn aside into one of the many mills to see that instead of steam the patient camel Is used to turn the mill whose stories stones crush the grain or bruise the berries or seeds from which different oils are extracted WU ay primitive but the damas cenes reply would be that it Is effective and inexpensive and where uma time la Is of little object these are important por taint items views from a minaret i but the sights of damascus are not all on the streets for a good diew bew of the city itself one must get the favor of a minaret keeper and have his permission to climb to the alie gallery of the minaret and bom there look out over the roots roofs courts towers and streets of the city below be ai it said to the credit of the damascene that although he be Is a faithful follower 0 of i the desert prophet the fanaticism so often exhibited by edana edans Is absent in him an interesting outlook of the city Is 13 obtained from a minaret near the west end of the street called straight from this position one immediately appreciates how well that ancient thoroughfare deserves its name for it runs lu in a direct line across s the city front from west aest to east tor for about orle one and a halt half miles this street which Is roofed in still bears the time name as in the days of the apostle paul the principal attraction of the city Is the great mosque which Is located in the heart of the busy capital and can only be reached through one of its rainy many populous streets this spa clous cloua resort for worship was rebuilt early in tle the twentieth century tho the funds being contributed from all parts of tho the moslem world for T in 1803 the edifice had been almost entirely destroyed by fire the mosque has had a varied experience per peri ence lence being at one time a heathen temple then a christian church then held jointly by the edans and christians and used as church and mosque at the same time abut but since tho the th century the edAns have had the sole use of it tor for their on own purposes in the mosque Is the reputed tomb of john the baptists head a shrin respected alik eby edans an and christians the local tradition says saya that after affer the execution of the messiahs forerunner his head was seni sent to damascus then the capital of thili th district over which herod had jurisdiction so that his superior officer might see that the deed had really been done and one supposed inciter to rebellion disposed of when the saracen conqueror khalid captured damascus and was searching the church for treasure he came across this llila revered and caused it to be interred and stared by a fine structure |