126 
CHURCHES IN TIFLIS. 
an arched door-way, which conducts into a vaulted room. This 
chamber, which is the only one in the building, has no orna¬ 
ments on its walls ; they are simply stuccoed, and were, probably, 
the place of prayer for the Moullahs (or priests) over the dead 
body, entombed below, of some illustrious Turkish chief. This 
sort of expiatory rite is religiously performed by Mahometans, 
on certain days, at the graves of their deceased brethren in the 
faith. The pavement of one of these monuments was broken 
up, and, in looking into the aperture, a long and narrow stone 
coffin became visible, wherein I could discern a scull, and other 
human bones. Every one of these tombs bore marks of having 
been frequently opened, probably in search of hidden trea¬ 
sure. I could not discover an inscription on, or near any of 
them. 
There are several fine churches, of different Christian persua¬ 
sions, in Tiflis ; and that which is dedicated to the Roman 
Catholic mode of worship is one of the most beautiful. The 
cathedral of Holy Sion, the great Armenian church, is more 
extensive, but does not equal its tolerated rival in richness and 
grace of architecture; yet it has an advantage in situation, 
which, adding the majesty of nature to the holy sanctity of the 
place, seems fully to answer the character of its name. The 
noble waters of the Kur roll near its base, increasing in rapidity 
and sound, as they pour onward amongst the thickening rocks 
of the suddenly closing in of the bold cliffs, which embank the 
stream. At this narrowed point, a bridge of one single arch 
connects the town with a considerable suburb, called Avlabar. 
It is chiefly inhabited by a colony of Armenians, who fled 
from the neighbourhood of Erivan, during the late wars between 
Russia and the Persian government. Here, also, we saw the 
