54 ALEPPO TO DEIR-EL-ZOR. 



very large extent of ground. The description of them 

 given by Dr Kussell upwards of a century ago, in his 

 ' Natural History of Aleppo,' holds good to-day : " The 

 bazaars or markets are lofty stone edifices in the form 

 of a long gallery, for the most part very narrow, arched 

 above, or else roofed with wood. The shops, which are 

 either placed in recesses of the wall or formed of 

 wooden sheds projecting from it, are ranged upon each 

 side upon a stone platform two or three feet high, which 

 runs the whole length of the gallery. In many of the 

 old bazaars these shops are so confined as barely to 

 leave room for the shopkeeper to display his wares and 

 for himself and one guest to sit conveniently. The 

 buyers are obliged to remain standing on the outside ; 

 and when opposite shops happen to be in full employ- 

 ment it is not easy for a passenger to make his way 

 through the crowd." 



The town has a population of 135,000, including a 

 Ptussian Consul- General, a Russian Yice-Consul, and 

 one Russian subject ! and its chief importance lies in 

 its being a large trade depot and distributing centre for 

 the surrounding vilayets. It is probable, therefore, 

 that the advent of the railw^ay will tend to lessen rather 

 than to increase its importance. From the south it 

 will eventually be connected with Damascus when the 

 French line via Homs and Hamah, which has reached 

 the latter place, is completed. On the north a branch 

 line will leave the German main line at Tel Habesch, 

 a little east of Killis, and cover the 60 kilometres 

 between that place and Aleppo. It has also some 

 importance as a military centre, and in addition to 

 the many well-built stone houses belonging to private 

 individuals in the Azizieh quarter — built of the 

 excellent stone which is found close by — there are 

 large barracks where a regiment of cavalry, a bat- 



