2 o Travels into the Levant. Part II-I 
Another day I went by the Bajhai SerragUo^ 2iV\à having advanced a little 
Northwards, in the fir ft ftreet to rhe left hand, I found a Mofque which 
The Church had formerly been a Church dedicated to St. Nicholas: I entered it, and 
of St. Nicholas found it to have been a very large and ftately Church, with a (pacious Court, 
nowaMofque. gf^^jj-Qj^e^j a Cloyfter, whereof the Arches are fupported by many great 
marble-Pillars. All that Cloy Iter and Court, which is ftill paved with large 
fair Stones belonged to the Church, with a great fpace enclofcd and covered, 
which they have changed into a Mofque ; and they have demolifhed all the 
Vaults which covered that which I call the Court, and brought into it one 
of the Rivers of Damafcus called Banias that runs through the length of ir. 
there they load the Camels that are to. go to Mecha with Water • and for that 
end alone they have brought the Couriè of the River that way : There are a 
great many Trees alfo in it which render it a very pleafant place. 
The Dervi- Being come out of that Court I went to the Dewijhes, which are a little 
fies. farther on the fame fide : They arc very well lodged, and have feveral Gar- 
dens through which the River Banias runs, before it reaches the Church of St. 
Nicholas. The Name of Dervijh is made up of two Perfian words, to wit 
of Drr, which fignifics Door, zndl^tjh fignifying TbreJhoU, as if one fhould fay 
the fhrelhold of the door ; Their founder took that Name, to intimate that 
his defign was that that order fhould particularly make profeflion of humility, 
by comparing themfelves to the threfliold of a door that all People tread 
upon. 
Having viewed that houfe I kept on my way, and came to the Green of 
Damafcus that is not far from it. It is a large Field or Grafs-plat which they 
call the Meidan, encompalTed on all hands with Gardens, and the River Ba- 
nias runs through it. About the middle of it there is a little Pillar in the 
The place ground, about four foot high, and they fay that that is the place where God 
made the firft Man. It is a very pleafant place, and therefore when any 
jvian. ' Perfon of Quality pafTes by Damascus he pitches his Tents there. 
When I was come into that field, I turned to the right, and entered into 
The lovely the Morefian, which is at the middle of one of the fides of that field. I found 
Hofpitaiof ,-ny feif in afquare Cloyfter, covered with little Domes, fupported by mar- 
Morcj.an. m2iïs, the firft bafes of which are of Brafs ; on the fide I entered at, and 
juft oppofite unto it , there are Chambers for receiving Pilgrims of 
whatfoever Religion they be Every Chamber is covered with a great Dome, 
and hath its Chimney, two PreiTes, and two Windows, to wit one towards 
the Green, and one on the other fide. The Cloyfter has twice as many Domes 
as the Chambers have, the fide on the right hand is appointed for Kitchins, 
where there are many great Kettles, wherein daily, and even during the Ra- 
madm, they boil Pi/^//, and other fuch Food, which they diftribute amongft 
all that come of whatloever Religion they be. On the' fide oppofite to the 
Kitchins is the Mofque, and before it a lovely Portico, covered with Domes, 
as the reft of the Cloyfter is, but they are fome what higher, and fupported by 
more lotty Pillars. This Mofque is covered with a very great Dome, having 
a lovely Minaret on each fide, and all the(e Domes and Minarets are covered 
with Lead. Within the Green there is a fair Garden along the fides of the- 
Cloyfter, where many Trees are planted ; itis raiied with rails of Wood on 
the tour fides of it, which are five or fix foot high ; fo that it leaves in the mid- 
dle a large Square paved with fair Free-Stone, wherein there is a Bafon of an 
oblong Figure, or rather a very large Canal, through which the River Banias 
runs. This Hofpital was built by Soljman the (econd wh o took Rhodes, for 
rhe accommodation of poor Pilgrims of all Religions ; and when I was there, 
there were a great many Perfons who were already come to perform the Pil- 
grimage of Mecha. I went out of that Hofpital by the oppofite fide to that 
which I entered it ; and on the left hand I faw the Stables where the Pii- 
' grims Horles are put, if they have any. Purfuing my way I found to the 
right hand another Cloy fter of the lame Architedure as the former, and which 
belongs to the lame Hofpital ; it is for poor Scholars, and hath alfo its 
Aioique. 
Being come out of the Morefian, and going ftreight forwards, I went along 
a ftreet, where on each fide are little Chambers for poor Pilgrims alfo, and 
over 
