The Persian Travels Book II. 



The Edifices, neither publick nor private, are very hand foni , but only within- 

 fide -, the Walls arc of Marble of lèverai colours , and the Cieling of Foliage 

 Fret-work, with lnfcriptions in Gold'n Letters. Without and within the City 

 there are fix and twenty Mofquees , fix or feven whereof are very magnificent, 

 with {lately Duomo's, three being cover'd with Lead. The chiefeft and largeft 

 of all , was a Chriftian Church which they call'd Alhha , or Lifterid unto : which is 

 thought to have been built by St. Helen. In one part of the Suburbs alio (lands 

 another Mofquee , which was formerly a Chriftian Church. In that there is one 

 thing worthy oblcrvation. In the Wall upon the right fide of the Gate , there is 

 a Stone to be feen two or three Foot fquare , wherein there is the figure of a hand- 

 fom Chalice, and a Sacrifice over the hollow of it, with a Crefcent that covers the 

 Sacrifice , the two Horns whereof defcend juft upon the brims of the mouth of the 

 Chalice. One would think at firft that thofe Figures were in Mofaic-W/ ovk : but 

 it is all Natural , as I have found with lèverai other Franks, having lcrap'd the Stone 

 with an Iron Infiniment , when the Turks were out of the way. Several Confuls 

 would have bought it, and there has been offer'd for it 2000 Crowns:, but the 

 Bajha's of Dieppe would never fuffer it to be fold. Half a League from the City 

 lyes a pleafant Hill , where the Franks are wont to take the Air. On the fide of 

 that Hill is to be feen a Cave or Grotto , where the Turks report that Haly liv'd 

 for lbme few days -, and for that there is an ill-fhap'd figure of a Hand imprinted in 

 the Rock , they farther believe it to be the Hand of Holy. 



There are three Colledges in Aleppo, but very few Scholars, though there be 

 Men of Learning that belong to thena , who have Salaries to teach Grammar, and 

 their odd kind of Philofophy, with the Grounds. of their Religion , which are the 

 Principal Sciences to which the Turks apply themlelves. 



The Streets of the City are all pav'd, except the Bazar's, where the Merchants 

 and Handicraft-Tradefmen keep their Shops. The chiefeft Arthls , and the moll 

 numerous, are Silk and Chamlet- Weavers. 



In the City and Suburbs there are about forty Inns -, and fifty publick Baths , as 

 well for Women as for Men , keeping their turns. 'Tis the chiefeft Paftime the 

 Women have to go to the Baths \ and they will fpare all the Week long to carry 

 a Collation , when they go at the Weeks end to make merry among themlelves, in 

 thofe places of privacy. 



The Suburbs of the City are large and well peopl'd, for almoft all the Chriftians 

 have their Houfes and Churches there. Of which Chriftians there are four forts in 

 Aleppo , I mean of Eaftern Chriftians , that is to fay, Greeks , Armenians, Jacobites 

 or Syrians , and Maronites. The Greeks have an Archbifhop there , and are about 

 fifteen or fixteen thoufand in number*, their Church is dedicated to St. George. The 

 Armenians have a Bifhop , whom they call Vertabet • and are about twelve thou- 

 fand in number-, their Church is dedicated to the Virgin. The Jacobites being 

 about ten thoufand, have a Bifhop alfo -, and their Church is likewife dedicated to the 

 Virgin, as is that of the Armenians. The Maronites depend upon the Pope, not being 

 above twelve hundred -, their Church being confecrated to St. Elias. The Roman Catho- 

 licks have three Churches, ferv'd by the Capuchins , Carmelites, and Jefuites. They 

 reckon that in the Suburbs and City of Aleppo there are about 250000 Souls. 



There is a vaft Trade at Aleppo for Silks and Chainlets', but chiefly for Gall-Nuts, 

 and Valanede, which is a fort of Acorn-fhell without which the Curriers cannot drefs 

 their Leather. They have alfo a great Trade for Soap, and for feveral other Com- 

 modities •, the Merchants repairing thither from all parts of the World. For not 

 to fpeak of the Turks , Arabians, Perfians, Indians , there are feveral English, Italians, 

 French, and Hollanders , every Nation having their Conful to carry on their Interefts, 

 and maintain their Priviledges. 



Nor does this place happ'n to be fo great a Mart, through the convenience of the 

 two Rivers of Tigris and Euphrates , as fome have writt'n -, by which they fay fuch 

 vaft quantities of Commodities are tranfported and imported out and into the City. 

 For had that been , I fhould never have crofs'd the Defert, coming from Bagdat to 

 Aleppo ; nor at another time , going from Aleppo to Balfara. And as for Euphrates, 

 certain it is, that the great number of Mills built upon it, to bring the Water to the 

 neighbouring Grounds , have not only render'd it unnavigable , but made it very 

 dangerous. 



I mull 



