THE BLUE MOSQUE. 145 



the Sultan's capital. The colour of the dresses is quiet 

 compared to the bright hues worn by the Turks. The 

 women are clothed in dark-blue sacks, and have a sort 

 of open crochet-work window in their veils for the eyes 

 to peep through. There are said to be many Georgian and 

 Circassian beauties in the harems of the wealthier 

 merchants, but the chance traveller has, of course, no 

 opportunity of admiring their charms. We were im- 

 pressed with the busy air of the street crowds. Every- 

 body walked fast ; there were comparatively few fat men ; 

 fi'iends met and told one another a good story, and passed 

 on, and occasionally some of the younger sort indulged in 

 the innocent amusement known at the universities as 

 * bear-fighting.' 



We took several strolls through the outer quarters of 

 the town, where long winding lanes, Avith a watercourse 

 running down the middle, and shaded by trees, lead between 

 high earthen walls ; at the crossings is often found a coffee 

 or rather tea-house, for the Chinese drink sujDplauts the 

 Arabian in Persia. We noticed many carved blocks of 

 black basalt strewn about, which must formerly have 

 belonged to handsome buildings. There is only one interest- 

 ing edifice of any antiquity now left in Tabreez — the ruin 

 known by the name of the Blue Mosque ; the walls were 

 coated inside and out with encaustic tiles, the prevailing 

 hues being Oxford and Cambridge blue. The efifect is 

 still very beautiful, and before the destruction of the central 

 dome — caused, as we were told, by an earthquake — must 

 have been superb. The largest modern building is the 

 custom-house, which covers a great extent of ground, and 

 consists of large storehouses supported on columns, and 

 roofed with small domes. 



On Sunday we took tea in one of the gardens of the 

 suburbs. They are, in fact, vineyards with walks round 



L 



