194 



BAGDAD. 



Bagdad, pie are called Rahedis, a sect of heretics, who are pe- 

 culiarly strict in separating themselves from persons 

 of a different religious persuasion, and who would 

 not drink out of the same cup with a Christian, or a 

 Jew, and scarcely even with an orthodox Mahome- 

 dan. Various sects of Christians, however, are to- 

 lerated in the city, of which the Nestorians are the 

 most numerous. There are several Jews, who arc con- 

 fined to a remote quarter of the town.. They are hated 

 and continually insulted by the Turks, and live here, 

 as in most other places, in a state of political degra- 

 dation and oppression. Many also repair hither an- 

 nually to visit the sepulchre of the prophet Ezekiel, 

 which they suppose to be in the neighbourhood of 

 the city. 



The inhabitants of Bagdad are composed of Per- 

 sians, Armenians, Turks, Arabs, and Jews ; but 

 their number has been estimated very variously at 

 different times by different travellers. By Tavernier, 

 in 1652, they were supposed not to exceed 15,000; 

 and by an officer of the East India Company, in 

 1779, they were computed at 100,000. They are 

 not, however, the vile slaves we imagine them, and 

 which we consider as the invariable consequence of a 

 despotic government ; but are, on the contrary, proud, 

 enterprising, active, and inclined to mutiny. The 

 higher classes are civil and generous, and obliging to 

 strangers, whom they always treat with regard and 

 distinction. It is true the lower classes are the same 

 as in all the other cities of Turkey, ignorant, rude, 

 full of superstition and insolence, and enervated by 

 debauchery and idleness. 



The form and fortifications of the city seem to have 

 undergone little alteration ; and the different descrip- 

 tions which have been given of its appearance during 

 the last 150 years are very much the same. It looks, 

 at a distance, like a grove of trees ; and stands in the 

 midst of a very fertile soil, which is left almost en- 

 tirely destitute of cultivation, but which nevertheless 

 produces all the European fruits and vegetables in 

 their proper seasons, and in the greatest perfection. 

 The city is in the form of an irregular oblong square, 

 about 1500 paces long, 800 broad, and not above 

 three miles in circuit. The walls are built with brick, 

 terrassed in several places on the top, strengthened 

 with large towers like bastions, mounted with 60 

 pieces of cannon, of which the largest are five or six 

 pounders, and surrounded by a wide ditch, about 

 five or six fathoms in depth ; but these fortifications 

 are very much broken down in several places, and 

 the ordnance in such a decayed state, as to be scarce- 

 ly fit for service. There are four gates, one of which 

 is on the side of the river ; and the entrance to the 

 city in that quarter is by a bridge of boats, or rather 

 pieces of timber fastened upon goat skins, which are 

 blown like bladders. Near to one of these gates, on 

 the north side, stands the castle or citadel, which has 

 the command of the river, and which is planted 

 with a number of cannon, but is not capable of 

 very much resistance. Some of the public buildings, 

 the mosques, minarets, hummums, and the palace of 

 the bashaw's lady, are built of hewn stone, and make 

 a handsome appearance ; but there are neither pub- 

 lic schools, nor public libraries. The bazars, or mar- 

 kets, are very extensive, protected by arches from the 



excessive heat of the sun, divided into different streets, Bagdad, 

 and filled with shops to the number of 1200, in 

 which all kinds of merchandize are to be found. 

 There are also to be seen the remains of several an- 

 cient edifices, of lofty structure and beautiful work- 

 manship ; especially a large khan, supposed to have 

 been built about 850 years ago, and of which the 

 bricks appear as fresh as if they had been newly made. 

 " The houses," says a late traveller, " are generally 

 large, built of brick and cement, and arched over ; 

 many of the windows are made of elegant Venetian 

 glass ; the ceilings are mostly ornamented with a 

 kind of chequered work, which has generally a noble 

 appearance ; most of the houses have a court -yard 

 before them, in the middle of which is a little plan- 

 tation of orange trees, &c. that has a very pleasing 

 effect." {Journey from Bassora to Bagdad in 1779, 

 p. 46. ) In the months of June, July, and August, 

 (we are informed by the same traveller, as well as by 

 Tavernier,) the weather is so extremely hot, that the 

 inhabitants are obliged to live in subterraneous apart- 

 ments, or at least to sleep upon the terrasses of their 

 houses. The Samiel rages here from the beginning 

 of July to the middle of August, but is neither of 

 such a pestilential quality, nor followed by those fa- 

 tal accidents which often attend it in the desert. 

 ( See Arabia, vol. ii. p. 275. ) The women of Bag- 

 dad are very richly habited ; and are loaded with 

 jewels and rings, both at their ears and nose. Ex. 

 cept they be very poor, they never go out but on 

 horseback ; and on these occasions, it is said, the 

 courtezans are distinguished by putting their feet in- 

 to the stirrups, while others use only the leathers. 



The city is governed by a Pacha of three tails, 

 who assumes also the title of caliph, from his capital 

 having been the ancient residence of the Arabian 

 pontiffs. He exercises an authority almost entirely 

 independent of the Porte, and is looked upon as the 

 most powerful vizier in the Ottoman empire. The 

 present governor AH, is a native of Georgia, who, 

 from being the slave of Soliman Pacha, became his 

 son-in-law, and successor ; and it is worthy of re- 

 mark, that for nearly a century past, almost all the 

 Pachas of Bagdad have been Georgian renegados, 

 whom intrigues and good fortune have drawn from 

 the horrors of slavery, to conduct them to the ho- 

 nours of unlimited power. In the time of Tavernier, 

 the forces of Bagdad consisted of about 2000 troops 

 of different descriptions, within the walls ; and about 

 3000 or 4000 cavalry in the suburbs and neighbour- 

 ing towns. But, at present, these can be increased 

 to more than 30,000, as many cavalry as infantry, 

 The cavalry, particularly those of Kurdistan, are 

 armed with a pistol, a lance, and a sabre, and some- 

 times also with a carabine. The Arab horsemen, 

 however, use only the lance ; and the infantry carry 

 a sabre and musket. Ali Pacha has, besides, 500 

 foot disciplined after the European fashion ; and he 

 can carry into the field 30 pieces of cannon served by 

 skilful soldiers. His army, however, is wretchedly 

 paid, and ill treated, so that it is composed chiefly 

 of the refuse of the populace. The civil government 

 is executed by a cadi, who acts in all capacities, and 

 discharges at once the offices of judge, mufti, and 

 tofterdar, or treasurer for the grand signior. 



