Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/52
from one side to the other: and the Foot of every Pillar, which is of white Marble, is hollow'd into little Niches equal with the Floor, where the People put their Shooes, when they go farther to their Devotions. The inside of the Walls is varnish'd in Squares of several Colours, with Flowers, Cifers, and Arabian Letters intermix'd, and wrought in Emboss'd-work, so well painted, so well gilded, that it seems to be but one piece of Work, cut out with a pair of Scissars. From this Duomo you pass to another lesser, but more beautiful in its kind. The lower part is of transparent white Stone, of the same nature with that in the Front, cut in great Panes like a Door that never opens. This Duomo has no Pillars, but eight Foot high, it is all of white Marble, where are to be seen Stones of a prodigious length and bredth: The inside of the Vault is a violet Enamel, painted with all sorts of Flowers in Flat-work, but the outside of both the Duomo's is cover'd with varnish'd Brick-work, and Flowers emboss'd A la Moresque. Upon the first the Flowers are black upon green; upon the second, white Stars upon black: which diversity of Colours is very pleasing to the Eye.
Near the Door out of which you enter into the lesser Duomo, on the left hand, stands a Chair of Walnut-tree curiously carv'd, and fasten'd to the Wall; it stands upon a Platform rais'd six steps high, without any Canopy. On the right hand stands another Chair of the same Wood, and an exquisite piece of Workmanship; with a kind of State over it of the same Wood, fasten'd to the Wall. There is a little Rail about it; and the Platform is four steps high. On the South-side of the Mosquee there are two white transparent Stones, which when the Sun shines upon them look red: And sometimes after the Sun is set, you may read at those Stones by the reflexion of the Sun-beams.
Just against the Mosquee on the other side is another Front, which is the only Remain of a ruin'd Building. It was the abode of the Sheck-Iman, or the Chief Priest. There had been large Baths which belonging to it, but they are all destroy'd; some others there were of less note, which are not lookt after.
In the great Piazza of Tauris and in the parts adjoyning, stands a fair Mosquee, a Colledge, and a Castle, which fall to decay; these Buildings being forsaken; by reason they were made use of by the Sounni's, which were followers of Omar. Near the same Church is a ruin'd Church of the Armenians, whether they say St. Helena sent the true Cross. There is another Mosquee, which was formerly a Church dedicated to St. John Baptist, where they say one of his Hands was preserv'd a long time.
The Capuchins have a very convenient House at Tauris; for Mirza-Ibrahim Governour of the Province, whose credit is equal to the Kan of Tauris, which is the chiefest Command in Persia, favours him very much with his protection. This Governour has made himself very considerable at Court, and very much respected by the King for his indefatigable pains, and his extraordinary agility in augmenting the King's Revenue: having found out such ways for that purpose as never entred into the thoughts of any that preceded him in the same Employment. He is very curious to learn all the Noble Sciences, which is a quality very rare among the Persians: He also takes great delight in the Mathematicks and Philosophy, discoursing often with Gabriel de Chinon, Governour of the Capuchins Covent in Tauris. But the great desire which Mirza-Ibrahim had to have his two Sons taught by the said Gabriel, was the chief motive that made him so favourable to that Covent. He bought the Friers a place to build their House, and liberally furnish'd them for the Expence of the Work.
When the Sun sets and rises, there are a certain Company of People who are oblig'd to make a hideous noise with Drums and Trumpets in the Meidan, or great Piazza of the City. They stand upon one side of the Piazza in a Gallery somewhat rais'd; which is a Custom observ'd in all the Cities under the Persian Government.
As you go out of Tauris upon the North-side, there is a Mountain close by, there being only the River between it. The name of it is Einali-Zeinali, and formerly there stood upon the top of it a fair Hermitage of the Armenians, which the Mahometans have converted into a Mosquee. At the bottom of the Mountain stands a Fortress and a Mosquee, which they let go to ruine, because they were built by the Ottomans. A little farther upon the brink of the Precipice stands a Monastery, near to which are two Caves, where are certain Sepulchers and Marble Pillarslying