NIKOSIA.
This city, called by the Greeks Levkosia, and by the Turks Lefkoscha,
impressed me more than any other Oriental town I have visited. An
indescribable blending of Eastern and Western characteristics meets the
eye at every turn, and imparts a familiar appearance to the strange and
interesting scene.
How shall I give an idea of the uproar that roused me from my slumbers
early next morning? Trumpets were sounding, muezzins were chanting in
drawling tones from the tops of all the minarets, countless crows and
ravens combined with cocks and hens to outvie in their performance,
the braying of asses, and groaning of camels. Whilst over all clanged
the bells from every belfry in the city. The following day being
Easter-eve, this music commenced at midnight, and continued without
interruption till morning, varied, however, by the firing of every old
gun that could be mustered for the occasion.
In passing through the streets of the town, I observed through the
gates of the high-walled gardens many varieties of fruit trees, apple,
pear, and figs; orange, lemon, mulberry, and pomegranate trees also
lent their blossoms to give the finishing touches to the scene. The
garden walls are high, but not so lofty as to exclude from view the
slender white minarets, dark cypresses, and waving palms that they
enclose. Half Nikosia is made up of these lovely gardens. Everywhere
water-pipes are gently pouring forth their offerings to the thirsty
ground, and the whole town is redolent of perfume. The Cyprian sky
resembles that of the Nile valley in its cloudless, deep blue, and is
equally beautiful in its clear expanse; while as for the climate, a
very few days in its soft, delicious, balmy air makes one understand
why, of all the Grecian islands, Cyprus should have been allotted the
privilege of being regarded as the favorite residence of the Goddess of
Love. At first I felt inclined to linger in this lovely spot and make
myself acquainted with its literature; but a nearer view showed me my
time would not be profitably spent. Society there was none, the few
Europeans the city contained being entirely engaged in striving to make
a little money.
Domestic life in Cyprus is generally confined within the precincts
of its beautiful gardens, and in most of its relations is strictly
Turkish. Women of the higher classes in Nikosia wear a delicate white
veil and silken garments, instead of the bright blue, yellow, and red
veil usually seen in the other towns.
Dr. Clarke, in his “Travels,” says:—“The interesting costume presented
in the dress of the Cyprian ladies ought not to pass unnoticed.
Their head apparel was precisely modelled after the kind of calathus
represented upon the Phœnician idols of the country and Egyptian
statues. This was worn by women of all ranks, from the wives of the
consuls to their slaves. Their hair, dyed of a fine brown colour by
means of a plant called ‘henna,’ hung behind in numerous long straight
braids; and, in some ringlets disposed near the face, were fastened
blossoms of the jessamine, strung together upon strips of leaves of the
palm-tree in a very curious and pleasing manner. Next to the Calmuck
women, the Grecians are, of all others, best versed in cosmetic arts.
They possess the valuable secret of giving a brown colour to the
whitest locks, and also tinge the eyebrows the same hue, an act that
would be highly prized in London and Paris. The most splendid colours
are displayed in their habits, and these are very becoming to the girls
of the island. The upper robe is always of scarlet, crimson, or green
silk, embroidered with gold. Like other Greek women, they wear long
scarlet pantaloons, fastened round the ankle, and yellow boots, with
slippers of the same colour. Around the neck and from the head are
suspended a profusion of gold coins, chains, and other trinkets. About
their waists they have a large belt, or zone, fastened in front by two
large and heavily-polished brass plates. They endeavour to make the
waist as long as possible, and their legs consequently short. Naturally
corpulent, they take no pains to diminish the size of their bodies
by lacing, but seem rather vain of their bulk, exposing their bosoms
at the same time in a manner highly unbecoming. Notwithstanding the
extraordinary pains they use to disfigure their natural beauty by all
manner of ill-selected ornament, the women of Cyprus are handsomer than
those of any other Grecian island. They have a taller and more stately
figure, and the features, particularly of the women of Nikosia, are
regular and dignified, exhibiting that elevated cast of countenance so
universally admired in the works of Greek artists. At present this kind
of beauty seems peculiar to the women of Cyprus.”
The women of Nikosia walk lightly and gracefully, instead of presenting
the appearance, as do many of their country-women, of stuffed sacks
rolling along, and unlike most Turkish ladies, can often boast neat and
slender figures. In my own opinion the town does not contain more than
12,000 inhabitants, many, however, estimate their number as 18,000.
In former times Nikosia was some miles in circumference and was three
times as large as it is now. Ruins of churches and cloisters are to
be seen in all directions outside the present town. Of late years
the Greek and Turkish inhabitants associate much more freely than
formerly. Turkish servants are often met with in Greek houses, and
intermarriages are by no means uncommon. The dress of the peasantry is
almost Turkish, and pillau, essentially a Turkish dish, is commonly
seen on every table in the island. Many of the professed Mussulmans are
actually Christians, and have their children baptised in secret. Their
forefathers were followers of the Prophet through fear and compulsion,
and it would expose any one to much persecution and obloquy, who openly
declared that he no longer belonged to that faith.
During the days of Venetian rule, many Italian words became grafted
into the language, whilst French, on the contrary, is entirely
forgotten in Cyprus. In Nikosia, the Turkish inhabitants pride
themselves on the purity with which they speak their own language;
indeed, I am informed that nowhere, except in Constantinople, can this
be heard in greater perfection. The Grecian population speak Greek.
This desire on the part of the Turks to keep their language pure and
undefiled, must be regarded as a lingering attempt to preserve the
ancient renown and dignity of Nikosia in a time when its homes were
palaces, and their inhabitants wealthy and esteemed. Of their ancient
mansions but little is now left beyond a few stately ruins. Many of the
fine old walls have been broken down within some feet of the ground,
and upon them wretched little huts of wood and clay erected to serve
as a hasty refuge for some indigent family. If asked why they do not
bestow more care upon their houses, the indolent workmen will inform
you, that, “it is not worth while to build better on account of the
frequent earthquakes.” On these occasions I have often felt tempted to
inquire if earthquakes were only known to the modern Cypriotes? The
ancient buildings of the island are readily recognised by the large
blocks of brown freestone of which the walls are built.
The Cathedral of St. Sophia forms the centre of attraction in Nikosia.
This fine edifice is built in the Gothic style, and richly decorated;
of this ornamentation, only the carved stone-work remains. The pillared
interior of the church is approached from the portico by three arched
portals. The walls of this noble building are decorated by whitewash,
and, to please the Turkish taste, pillars and capitals are streaked
and daubed with red, green, and yellow. Happily the beautiful arched
windows are still framed in rich carving. The base of the bell tower is
adorned with two unusually high minarets. Close to the cathedral is the
Church of St. Nicholas, with its three noble entrance gates; here all
the niches are charmingly decorated with a living tracery in the shape
of a great variety of stonecrop. The fine interior of this church is
now used as a granary. The Archbishop’s Chapel is another interesting
building, of which the walls are covered with ancient pictures. The
archiepiscopal throne with its gilding and the handsome altar-screen,
are but dimly seen in the mellow half light.
As I left the archiepiscopal chapel. I was met by a young priest,
who brought me a friendly invitation to take a cup of coffee with the
Lord Archbishop. I had so much still to see that I felt compelled to
decline this courtesy. The young priest modestly urged that it was
the custom for all strangers to pay their respects to his grace, and
that I should not willingly be the first to decline. My time only
permitted me to make a hurried call, which fact I, however, since, much
regretted, as I afterwards found that the head of the Cyprian Church is
a worthy and distinguished man, who well deserves his title of
μακαριωτατος.
A dignitary of the Greek Church may certainly be considered as much
more fortunately situated than any other official in Europe. During
his entire life he can mount a perfect Jacob’s ladder of preferments
and emoluments, and may don every shade of colour, in robes of black,
green, yellow, and red to rich purple; he can also exhibit a variety
of crosiers and mitres. The Archbishop of Cyprus, who has now obtained
the highest rank, signs his name with red ink, seals with the imperial
double-headed eagle, carries a shepherd’s crook, surmounted by a golden
orb, and bears a title enumerating his saintly and lordly attributes.
The income of this dignitary is derived from two sources—voluntary
offerings and tithes, and sums paid for dispensations, marriages, and
masses. The archbishop has many claims upon this revenue, and has
annually to send money to Constantinople, the Archbishop of Cyprus
being a vassal of the Sultan’s. The four bishops of Cyprus, though
chosen from its capital, are also compelled to obtain the consent
of this potentate to their election. The Greek priests are said to
average two per cent. of the whole population; it may therefore be
supposed that their position is a degraded one, and their incomes very
small. Many of those in Nikosia can scarcely do more than read the
services, and perform the various ceremonies with proper intelligence
and decorum, whilst those in the village curés are so reduced that they
must often resort to the mending of shoes, and tending of sheep and
cattle, to earn a bare livelihood.
The church of St. Katherine, now turned into a mosque, has a fine
entrance, adorned with three arches and pillars, with Corinthian
capitals. Two stately marble columns lie in the court-yard; these,
with their fine carved escutcheons, have been torn down by the Turks
and employed as seats. The graves of the brave defenders of the city
are still held in honour, and small cupolas are erected to mark their
resting places. The spot where the first Turk mounted and fell when the
city was stormed, is also distinguished by a small dome. The gravestone
is marble, and the coffin of wood, overshadowed by the green flag of
the Prophet. Nikosia can boast a very unusual number of churches and
mosques, and we are told that, when the city was at the height of
its glory, there were no less than two hundred and fifty chapels and
churches. Cyprus is also especially remarkable for the number of graves
of its saints.
In all ages the island was regarded as a harbour of refuge from
persecution or tyranny, and its close proximity to Syria and Palestine
attracted many suffering Christians to its shores. In the thirteenth
century Cyprus possessed no less than fourteen bishoprics, each
of which were founded on some memorable or sacred spot. Paul and
Barnabas, we know, preached the Gospel in Cyprus, and we learn that
many were turned from the error of their ways to commence a new life.
Accompanied by John, the Apostles landed at Salamis, and travelled
over the whole island, preaching especially in the synagogues of the
Greek Jews, who were then very numerous. In Paphos they encountered
the Roman consul, Sergius Paulus, who speedily became a convert, and
here Elymas, the sorcerer, was struck by them with temporary blindness,
as a chastisement for his endeavours to turn away their converts from
the true faith. The Apostle Saul here adopted the Roman fashion and
changed his name to Paulus. St. Barnabas afterwards suffered martyrdom
in Salamis, where he was burnt to death. During the reign of Justinian,
his grave was opened and a copy of the Gospel of St. Matthew found
lying on his breast. Salamis was also the birthplace of the celebrated
St. Katherine.
The royal palace of Nikosia was built in the Norman-Gothic style
and must have been a noble edifice. With the exception of an arched
doorway, however, but little now remains beyond the outer walls, with
gaps where the windows once were, and balconies with wooden latticework
and wooden roofs. This palace was formerly the residence of the pacha.
During my visit to the city the gaols were full of prisoners; the
majority of these, I was told, were sent over from Syrian prisons to
work out their terms of imprisonment. The Cypriotes themselves bore the
character of being peaceable in their habits, and not easily roused to
acts of violence and crime.
In the court of the palace stands a high pillar, which tradition
says criminals used to be compelled to mount before receiving their
sentences. I could fancy this ancient pillar, ornamented with winged
lions, must resemble that in the market-place in Venice. I observed
also the shattered remains of another Venetian lion, which, a few years
ago, was wantonly destroyed by one of the pachas. Near the pillar
above alluded to are reared three gravestones, decorated with knightly
escutcheons and Latin inscriptions.
In the evening I dined with the pacha, a gentleman of great
intelligence, who has had a most thorough European education. Our
conversation happened to turn upon those interesting relics of past
ages. My host spoke with much regret of the damage constantly and
wantonly done to them by Turkish soldiers, and bitterly deplored his
own inability to check their destructive propensities, which are
all the more difficult of restraint, as they proceed from religious
enthusiasm; followers of Mahommed being strictly prohibited, by the
Koran, to make any image; this prohibition being not only confined
to works of wood and stone, but including the precious works of the
sculptor and the painter. Before quitting this interesting city, I
cannot refrain from adding the testimony of a writer of the fourteenth
century to the salubrity of the climate around this city. “Nikosia,” he
tells us, “lies beneath the shelter of surrounding hills, and is noted
for the healthiness of its air and the purity of its balmy breezes. For
this reason it was selected as the residence of the court, nobility,
bishops, and in fact all such as were free to choose where they
might settle. Tournaments and hunting formed Their chief amusements;
leopards and a species of mountain goat being the favourite objects of
chase.” The same authority states that the nobility of Cyprus were at
that period the richest in the world, an income of 3000 gulden being
regarded with no more respect than a few shillings would be in other
places. All these fine fortunes seem to have suffered severely from the
heavy expenses attendant on their favourite pastimes. We are told of
a count of Jaffa, that he kept five hundred hounds and a servant for
every two dogs. Many of these nobles did not have less than two hundred
men as falconers and huntsmen. During their hunting excursions it was
no uncommon thing for them to camp out in the woods and mountains for
a month at a time, sleeping in their tents and taking camels and mules
with them, ladened with all the necessaries of life. These nobles, we
are told, were men of education and experience, speaking many languages
and hearing all the news of the world from the intercourse they had
with the constant stream of travellers who visited this richly endowed
and famous land, from all parts. The same writer tells us that the city
of Famagusta was still more noted than Nikosia for its riches, and
enumerates the following instances of reckless expenditure and rich
possessions.
“The daughter of a citizen in this city, is stated at the time of her
betrothal to have been endowed with jewels that exceeded in value
those in the crown of the King of France. One of the merchants of
Famagusta, we are told, sold to the Sultan, for the sum of 60,000
gulden, an imperial ball of gold set with four fine stones, an emerald,
a carbuncle, a pearl, and a sapphire; some years after, desiring to
repossess it, he offered the monarch 100,000 gulden if he would return
it, but was refused. Of the profusion of gold cloth, rich stuffs, and
jewels of all kinds, he tells us he feels sure his statements would be
regarded as incredible. The wood of the aloe alone, which is elsewhere
regarded as very valuable, is so common here as to be held in no
esteem.”