ALE 



private mercTiants without pcrmifT.on ; the cuftom on pjoods 

 IS vcrj' favourably rated ; and in aU luits at tlie maikany 

 court, aboic the amount of an inconfiderable fum, they 

 have a rig;ht to decline the competency of tlie court, and 

 to remove the caufe to Conftantinople. In confcquence 

 of the regard publicity paid by the government to the 

 Europeans, they arc commonly treated with civility by 

 people of all ranks. 



The Chridian inhabitants at Aleppo are faid by Ruflell 

 to amount to ;o,ooo ; of wiiith number the Greeks compofe 

 13,500 ; the Anncniarf; 67JO ; the Syrians 3750 ; and the 

 Maronites 3030 ; and the remainder confiils of llrangei-s, oc- 

 caftonally refide;it in the city- Each of the four Chriilian 

 nations has a church, and enjoys perfect toleration under 

 the Mohammedan government. The Greek nation was 

 once opulent and flourilhuig ; but it has long declined, and 

 is now reduced to a very low condition. This decline is 

 afcribcd partly to the decay of commerce, and principally 

 to the ccmteRs that have fnbfifted between thofe who ad- 

 here to the patriarch of the Greek church, and thofe who 

 acknowledge the fupremacy of the pope. The Greek 

 language is almoft obfolete at Aleppo. The Armenians 

 are divided into two parties, the orthodox and the fchiim- 

 atic ; betides their own language, they fpcak the Arabic 

 and Turkifli ; but their church fervice is performed m tlie 

 learned Armenian, which is duTerent from the language 

 vulgarly fpoken. The Syrians of Aleppo are moilly re- 

 conciled to the Romifli church. The Maronites are more 

 connected with the Franks than tlie other fects. They 

 acknowledge the firpremacv of the pope, and have added 

 many rites, borrowed from tlie church of Rome, to tlieir 

 own. l>ivine fervice is performed in Arabic. The native 

 Chriftians have no monalleries at Aleppo, but contribute 

 towards the fnpport of feveral in ancient Lebanon and 

 its vicinity. For the regulation of cxpcnces, and the 

 tranfaftion of bujintfs at the feraglio, each of the Chriilian 

 nations has a public agent or wakeel ; who, being elected 

 in an afTembly of the principal perfons oi the rdpeftive 

 nations, is confirmed in his office by the badiaw, and in- 

 verted by him with a pelice, as a mark of honour. The 

 turban, ufually worn by the Chriftians, differs fomewhat in 

 form trom that of the Turks, and the falii is bhie and 

 white Itriped ; their flippers are red, and their drefs is, 

 upon the whole, more plain. In their mode of eating, 

 they genei^lly imitate the Tiirks. Their women, when 

 they appear abroad, wear a veil of white linen, and keep 

 more at hoin« tliao the TurklPn ladies. They are estra- 

 vagant in the article of drefs, which vadies in fome cir- 

 rumrtances from tlw Turkifli falhion. They are more 

 formal in their addrefs, and their courtefy borders too 

 much on fenility- The men are generally rather fawning 

 than affable ; but thofe in eafy circumfbances are hofpitably 

 fecial. Thofe of them who have obtained protection, 

 under the appellation of honoraiT interpreters, are dillin- 

 guifhed by a peculiar furred cap and ydlow flippers. 



The computed number of Jews at Aleppo, fays Ruffcll, 

 is about yooo. They have one fynagogiie, which poffcfTes a 

 MS of the Old 'J'eftament, which, as they pretend, is of high 

 antiquity. For its antiquity, they urge the concurrent tra- 

 dition of their rabbics, and their fuhiniflion to its authority in 

 difputed pafTages, and alCo a prayer at the end of it for 

 the prefervation of the temple ; from which they conclude, 

 that It mud have been written before the expedition of 

 Titus, their pniyers afterwards having been offered up 

 for the relloration, and not the prefervation of the temple 

 of Jerufalem. A fpccimen of this MS was examined by 

 Dr. Kennicott, who did not find fufficknt reafon for af- 



A L E 



cribing fucK high antiq\iity to it as the Jews do. Th^ 

 Jews are diilinguidied by their violet-coloured babuoge' 

 and tlieir turban, which is lower than that of the Chrit- 

 tians. Few of thc*m apply cithei- to munufaftures, or to 

 manual trades : moll o£ them are bankers or merchants ; 

 the others are brokers, grocers or pedlars. The eftablifiied 

 banker of the feraglio is a Jew, and the private bankers 

 of moft of the grandees are likewife Jews. The Jews, arc 

 generally more iober than the Chriftians. The lower peo- 

 ple live chiefly on bread, pulfe, herbs, and roots, drcffed 

 with the expneiTcd oil of fefamum ; and they are of all 

 people the moil flovenly and dirty. Some of the women 

 are handfome, but the proportion of fuch is fmall. Their 

 head-drefs differs confiderably from that of the Turkitli 

 and Chriltian ladies; and is commonly richly decked wilii 

 pearls. Their boots and flippers are of a violet colour. 

 Their veil is white, and in the prefcnce of ftrangers tlicy 

 alwavs wear it. The chief prieil of the Jews is, by way 

 of eminence, called the Khakan ; arid the priefts are dii- 

 tinguilhcd from the other Jews by the fize and colour of 

 the turban, and by the long wide ileevts of their, outer 

 garments. The khakan excrcifes temporal as well as 

 fpiritual authority, and his decifions are generally more 

 refpeCtcd than thofe of the bifliop^are by the Chriilian^, 

 but his civil juril'diclion is very limited. . 



Tlie ftate of literature at Aleppo is much degenerated 

 fiDm that of ancient times, when it was rc.ore refpecl- 

 able. There are indeed public day-fchools adjoining to 

 fome of the principal inofques, but their colleges fur ftu- 

 dents in advanced life are few in number, and poorly en- 

 couraged. They are m.ore properly feminaries of pcdantiy 

 and fuperftition than of fcience , and they are chiefly fi-e- 

 quented by the fcadious of the poorer clafs, who dedicate 

 themfelves to the fervice of the mofque. Grammar and 

 fchool-divinity are the fubjefts chiefly taught at college. 

 The cfFendees, who aflume an appearance of rcfjjcct tor 

 learning, have no liberal notion of icience. Aftronomy, 

 which was once a favourite ftudy among the Arabs, is at 

 prefent wholly negletled. Although they have books on 

 the fubjeft in their libraries and fome inftrumeiits, yet fo 

 little is known of the fcience at Aleppo, that a perfon who " 

 'is found capable of calculating eclipfes has, on this account, 

 the reputation of a moil profound atlronomer. Almanacks 

 are feldoni coiiftrufted at Aleppo, but are brought thither 

 from Conftantinople or Cairo. As to mathematical ftudles, 

 they are httle attended to by the modem Arabs ; nor 

 have Katural hiftoiy and the experimental part of philofo- 

 phy made any progreis amonglt them for feveral centuries. 

 Hulory is little regarded by the literati at Aleppo. Their 

 knowledge of diflant flates, and of the revolutions of em- 

 pire in the weflcrn world is very partial and imperfect ; 

 and even their own hiftorv, before the appearance of their 

 prophet, remains in great obfcurity. Their geographical 

 knowledge alfo lies within verj- narrow bounds ; nor have 

 they any good maps, except fuch as have been imported 

 from Europe. Superilition has banilhed painting from 

 Syria, and mufic, degraded by faftiion to a mercenary pro- 

 feffion, is rather tolerated than encouraged : poetiy, which 

 was formerly much cultivated among the Arabs, has very 

 perceptibly declined and languifhed ; fo that the modem 

 Aleppo bards never attempt any performance beyond a 

 dirge, a ballad, or an epigram. Although the medical 

 practitioners at Aleppo are numerous, their knowledge of 

 medicine is fuptrficial, perverted by prejudice, and accom- 

 panied with pedantic affectation, arrogance and obftinacy. 

 A very competent judge affirms their general praftice to 

 confill in fpccious trifling. Their knowledge of anatomy 



is 



