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The Persian Travels Book II. 



to go abroad but only upon Thurfdays , when they go to the Sepulchers to Pray for 

 the Dead. And becaufe that by their Law the Husband is oblig'd to lye> with his 

 lawful Wife upon Thurfday-night or Fryday-night , upon Wednefday-morning the 

 Women go to the Baths , where they perfume their Heads and Bodies with a iweet 

 Water. They may go abroad fometimes at other feafons, when their Husbands 

 give them leave to vifit their Kindred } but then they are to be wrapt up from 

 Head to Foot,that it is impoffible for their Husbands themlelves to know them if they 

 meet 'em i'the Streets. By the way take notice, that the Perfan Women , unlels 

 they be lbch as are very poor, would rather (lay within all the days of their Lives, 

 than go abroad without a Horfe. And it is a certain fign to know a Curtifan from 

 an honeft Woman -, for that the Curtifans put their Feet in the Stirup, and the honeft 

 Women only in the Stirup-leathers. The Women of Bagdat are very richly habited^ 

 after their fafhions -, but they are not contented to wear their Jewels about their 

 Necks and Wrifts , for they hang them like Bracelets about their Faces, and will 

 bore holes in their Ears to put in a Ring. The Arabian Women only bore the 

 feparation between the two Noftrils , where they wear hollow Rings , as well to 

 fpare cofi% as for lightnelV, for fome are lb big , that you may almoft thruft your Fill 

 through them. Beyond all this, the more to beautifie themlelves, they make a 

 round Ring about their Eyes with a certain fort of Blacking : And as well Men as 

 Women , in the Defert, put the fame near their Eyes , to preferve them, as they fay, 

 from the heat of the Sun. 



Of Chriftians there are three forts : Nefiorians , who have a Church Armenians 

 and Jacobites , who have none , but go to the Capuchins , who adminifter the Sacra- 

 ments to them. The Chriftians go in Devotion to a Chappel , about a lhort quarter 

 of a League from the City, dedicated to a Saint whom they call Keder-Elias, paying 

 a fmall Fee, for admiffion, to the Turks, who keep the Keys. Two days journey 

 from the City ftands another ruin'd Church in a pitiful Village , where they fay, 

 that St. Simon and St. Jude were both Martyr'd and Buried. If a Chriftian dyes , all 

 the reft come to his Burial, and returning home, find a Supper prepar'd to welcom 

 them -, the next day they return to the Grave , and pray for the deceas'd - and the 

 third day there is a Dinner for all comers and goers. Sometimes there will be a 

 hundred and fifty perfons at a Burial. They repeat the fame Ceremonies for the 

 feventh, fifteenth, thirtieth and fortieth clays afterwards :, having a great veneration 

 for the Dead , for whom they pray too often. This cuftom of Feafting is very in- 

 convenient for the Poor -, for they being defirous to imitate the Rich, run them- 

 felves fometimes fo far in Debt , that they are forc'd to fell their Children to the 

 Turks to difcharge themlelves. 



There are feveral Jews alfo in Bagdat , but more that come every year in Devotion 

 to vifit the Sepulcher of the Prophet Ez^ekiel , which is a day and a halfs journey 

 from the City. In fhort, fince the taking of Bagdat by Sultan Amwat , the number 

 of Inhabitants cannot be lefs than fifteen thoufand Souls-, which fhews that the City 

 is not peopl'd according to its bignefs. 



About a day and a halfs journey from the Point of Mefopotamia, at diftance almoft 

 equal between Tigris and Euphrates , there appears a vaft Heap of Earth , which 

 the people call to this day Nemrod. It ftands in the midft of a wide Plain , and 

 may be difcover'd a great way off. The vulgar fort believe it to be the Remains 

 of the Tower of Babel ; but there is more probability of the Arabians Opinion, who 

 çall it Agartouf, and believe it to have been built by an Arabian Prince , who 

 always kept a Beacon at the top to afTemble his Subjects together in time of War. 

 This Heap of Earth was about three hundred Paces in circuit ; but it is not eafie 

 to guefs at the ancient height, the reft being faPn to ruine, but only eighteen or 

 twenty Fathom. It is built of Brick dry'd in the Sun , every Brick being ten 

 Inches fquare, and three thick. The Building is thus rais'd. Upon every row of 

 Canes or Reeds bruis'd to pieces and mix'd with Wheat-ftraw, and fpred an Inch 

 and a half thick, lye feven orders of thefe Bricks with a little Straw between each} 

 then another Bed of Reeds , and fix rows of Bricks -, then a third with five rows, 

 decreafing in that manner 'till you come to the top. The form of it feems to have 

 been rather fquare than round -, and in the higheft part of that which remains there 

 appears a Hole like a Window if it were not rather an Out-let for Water , or 

 a Hole for the Scaffolding. In fhort, according to the Defcription of Mofes there 



is 



