6 TURKEY IN ASIA. 



of a large court, with a dead wall to the street : an arcade or piazza 

 Sunning round it paved with marble ; and an elegant fountain of the 

 same in the middle. Aleppo, and its suburbs, are seven miles in com- 

 pass, standing on eight small hills, on the highest of which the cita- 

 del, or castle, is erected, but of no great strength. An old wall, and 

 a broad ditch, now in many places turned into gardens, surround the 

 city, which was estimated by the late Dr. Russel to contain 230,000 

 inhabitants, of whom 30,000 were Christians and 5000 Jews ; but at 

 present, according to Mr. Eton, it does not contain more than 50,000, 

 which depopulation has chiefly taken place since 1770. Whole streets 

 are uninhabited, and bazars abandoned. It is furnished with most of 

 the conveniences of life, excepting good water, within the walls, and 

 even that is supplied by an aqueduct, distant about four miles, said to 

 have been erected by the empress Helena. The streets are narrow, 

 but well paved with large square stones, and are kept very clean. The 

 gardens are pleasant, being laid out in vineyards, olive, fig, and pista- 

 chio trees : but the country round is rough and barren. Foreign mer- 

 chants are numerous here, and transact their business in caravanse- 

 ras, or large square buildings, containing their ware houses, lodging- 

 rooms, and compting-houses. This city abounds in neat, and some of 

 them magnificent mosques ; public bagnios, which are very refresh- 

 ing ; and bazars, or market-places, which are formed into long, narrow, 

 arched, or covered streets, with little shops, as in other parts of the 

 East. Their coffee is excellent, and considered by the Turks as a 

 high luxury ; and their sweetmeats and fruits are delicious. Europe- 

 an merchants live here in greater splendour and safety than in any 

 other city in the Turkish empire, in consequence of particular capi- 

 tulations with the Porte. Coaches or carriages are not used here, but 

 persons of quality ride on horseback, with a number of servants be- 

 fore them, according to their rank. The English, French, and Dutch, 

 have consuls, who are much respected, and appear abroad, the English 

 especially, with marks of distinction. Scanderoon, or Alexandretta, 

 about 70 miles to the west of Aleppo, and the port of that city is now 

 almost depopulated. Superb remains of Antiquity are found in its 

 neighbourhood. 



As the mosques and bagnios, or baths, mentioned above, are built in 

 nearly the same manner in all the Mahommedan countries, we shall 

 here give a general description of them. 



Mosques are religious buildings, square, and generally of stone i 

 before the chief gate there is a square court, paved with white mar- 

 ble, and low galleries round it, the roof of which is supported by mar- 

 ble pillars. Those galleries serve for places of ablution before the 

 Mahommedans go into the mosque. About every mosque there are 

 3ix high towers, called minarets, each of which has three little open 

 galleries, one above another. These towers, as well as the mosques, 

 are covered with lead, and adorned with gilding and other ornaments; 

 and from thence, instead of a bell, the people are called to prayer by 

 certain officers appointed for that purpose. No woman is allowed to 

 enter the mosque ; nor can a man with his shoes or stockings on. 

 Near most mosques is a place of entertainment for strangers during 

 three days ; and the tomb of the founder, with conveniences for read- 

 ing the Koran and praying. 



The bagnios in the Mahommedan countries are admirably well 

 -constructed for the purpose of bathing. Sometimes they are square, 

 but often circular, built cf white well polished stone, or marble. Each 



