Page:The Six Voyages of John Baptista Tavernier.djvu/90
The Edifices, neither publick nor private, are very handsom, but only within-side; the Walls are of Marble of several colours, and the Cieling of Foliage Fret-work, with Inscriptions in Gold'n Letters. Without and within the City there are six and twenty Mosquees, six or seven whereof are very magnificent, with slately Duomo's, three being cover'd with Lead. The chiefest and largest of all, was a Christian Church which they call'd Alhha, or Listen'd unto: which is thought to have been built by St. Helen. In one part of the Suburbs also stands another Mosquee, which was formerly a Christian Church. In that there is one thing worthy observation. In the Wall upon the right side of the Gate, there is a Stone to be seen two or three Foot square, wherein there is the figure of a handsom Chalice, and a Sacrifice over the hollow of it, with a Crescent that covers the Sacrifice, the two Horns whereof descend just upon the brims of the mouth of the Chalice. One would think at first that those Figures were in Mosaic-Work: but it is all Natural, as I have found with several other Franks, having scrap'd the Stone with an Iron Instrument, when the Turks were out of the way. Several Consuls would have bought it, and there has been offer'd for it 2000 Crowns; but the Basha's of Aleppo would never suffer it to be sold. Half a League from the City lyes a pleasant Hill, where the Franks are wont to take the Air. On the side of that Hill is to be seen a Cave or Grotto, where the Turks report that Haly liv'd for some few days; and for that there is an ill-shap'd figure of a Hand imprinted in the Rock, they farther believe it to be the Hand of Haly.
There are three Colledges in Aleppo, but very few Scholars, though there be Men of Learning that belong to them, who have Salaries to teach Grammar, and their odd kind of Philosophy, with the Grounds of their Religion, which are the Principal Sciences to which the Turks apply themselves.
The Streets of the City are all pav'd, except the Bazar's, where the Merchants and Handicraft-Tradesmen keep their Shops. The chiefest Artists, and the most 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 chiefest Pastime the Women have to go to the Baths, and they will spare all the Week long to carry a Collation, when they go at the Weeks end to make merry among themselves, in those places of privacy.
The Suburbs of the City are large and well peopl'd, for almost all the Christians have their Houses and Churches there. Of which Christians there are four sorts in Aleppo, I mean of Eastern Christians, that is to say, Greeks, Armenians, Jacobites or Syrians, and Maronites. The Greeks have an Archbishop there, and are about fifteen or sixteen thousand in number; their Church is dedicated to St. George. The Armenians have a Bishop, whom they call Vertabet; and are about twelve thousand in number; their Church is dedicated to the Virgin. The Jacobites being about ten thousand, have a Bishop also and their Church is likewise dedicated to the Virgin, as is that of the Armenians. The Maronites depend upon the Pope, not being above twelve hundred; their Church being consecrated to St. Elias. The Roman Catholicks have three Churches, serv'd by the Capuchins, Carmelites, and Jesuites. They reckon that in the Suburbs and City of Aleppo there are about 250000 Souls.
There is a vast Trade at Aleppo for Silks and Chamlets; but chiefly for Gall-Nuts, and Valanede, which is a sort of Acorn-shell without which the Curriers cannot dress their Leather. They have also a great Trade for Soap, and for several other Commodities; the Merchants repairing thither from all parts of the World. For not to speak of the Turks, Arabians, Persians, Indians, there are several English, Italians, French, and Hollanders, every Nation having their Consul to carry on their Interests, and maintain their Priviledges.
Nor does this place happ'n to be so great a Mart, through the convenience of the two Rivers of Tigris and Euphrates, as some have writt'n; by which they say such vast quantities of Commodities are transported and imported out and into the City. For had that been, I should never have cross'd the Desert, coming from Bagdat to Aleppo; nor at another time, going from Aleppo to Balsara. 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 must