APPEARANCE AND COSTUMES OF THE PEOPLE.
I fear my readers will consider that I have been rather tedious in the
last few chapters, but what I have said I consider indispensable to put
them in possession of the real state of my beloved country; and to make
them generally acquainted with the character, the religion, and the
manners of its inhabitants. I shall now devote a few pages to a
description of the appearance and costumes of the different races.
The large tract of territory extending from Aleppo, in the north, as far
as the desert upon the outskirts of Gaza and Hebron, in the south, is
inhabited by the variety of sects and people, whose peculiar religious
ceremonies and occupations have been described in the preceding chapter.
Commencing with the district of Aleppo, we shall find inhabiting that
city,—first, the Aleppine-Greeks, most of whom are, by creed Roman
Catholics, and by profession merchants, silk-weavers, and manufacturers
of fine silken robes, such as are worn by the majority of the
inhabitants, male and female. The peculiar costume of the natives of
Aleppo is the most striking feature of that truly oriental and
magnificent city. On a feast-day, between the hours of prayer, the
gardens in the environs of the city are thronged with crowds of well
dressed men and women; some walking, some riding, and others seated on
their _seggadeh_, or rugs, under the pleasant shades of the fragrant
walnut-trees, with the _chibuk_ or _narghili_ in their hands, or else
cowering upon the bank of the river, angling for fish. We will, with the
reader’s permission, place ourselves beside a merry group who are
musically inclined, and hope to attract the attention of another group of
laughing girls, who, though well muffled up in their white _izars_, still
shew sufficient of well-proportioned features to convince the beholder
that beauty lurks beneath the muffling veil. However, we take our
station here, not to watch them, but those that pass to and fro, and to
guess with the utmost precision, by their costumes, what their belief is,
and in what peculiar calling of life they are engaged; first, then, comes
an old gentleman riding on a white Egyptian ass—the very fact of his
being the possessor of one of these valuable animals at once stamps him
with respectability; but apart from this, the tall _kulpak_, or Persian
cap, on his head, and the long, loose flowing robes proclaim him to be a
descendant from one of the most ancient, wealthy and respectable families
of Aleppo. The privilege of wearing this peculiar kind of head-gear,
exempts the wearer, by virtue of a firman obtained from the sublime Porte
many centuries ago, from the capitation tax, and many other minor
disagreeables to which the less fortunate rayahs are sometimes exposed.
This firman was obtained either by interest, or for some service rendered
by their ancestors to the Turkish government, at a period when all the
rich trade of the Indies passed through Aleppo, and when, as even up to
the latest period, that unfortunate city has been exposed to the
incursion of the wild desert tribes, who frequently molested the Baghdad
caravans, and even broke into the khans and strongholds, carrying off
warehoused merchandise to a considerable amount. The resistance offered
to these marauders by the wealthier merchants of Aleppo, led to their
obtaining special favors from the Porte; and these favors, be it said to
the honor of the Turkish Sultans, have descended as an heirloom from
father to son even down to the present day, and the insignia, as already
mentioned, is the _kulpak_ which yonder citizen carries on his head. By
creed he is a Roman Catholic, and devout in the observance of fasts and
festivals; by profession a _serraff_, or money changer, and any of the
European merchants who may require a few thousand piastres on an
emergency, will go to this man, and he will advance the requisite sum
instanter; his business-office is not much longer than an ordinary
sentinel’s box, but then his house, which is in the suburbs of the city,
is replete with comfort and elegance, and amongst other furniture and
requisites, you will find massive porcelain jars, and other equally
costly relics of the former Indian traffic, which have been handed down
from father to son, and which are never brought into active service, save
and except upon festive occasions when a marriage or a christening is
celebrated in the family.
Next to this wealthy aristocrat, our eyes encounter a couple of natives
on foot, both well clad, with rich silk scarfs girt round them but on
whose hands and arms the indelible dark blue tinge at once indicates
their occupation, viz., that of dyers; generally speaking, they profess,
in most parts of Syria, the tenets of the Greek church, and they are
almost a peculiar people of themselves, inhabiting the suburbs of a town
for the sake of convenience, and in order to be in the immediate vicinity
of level verdant plains, on which, during the summer months, they stretch
the dyed cloths to dry. It is seldom, however, that these people make
use of any other dyes than the commonest blue and black—such as is well
adapted, from its inferior materials, to meet the meagerly supplied
purses of the greater mass of the population of Syria, blue _shintians_
being invariably the every-day costume of masons, mechanics,
day-labourers, and peasants occupied in agricultural pursuits; hence it
is that the profits on labour are small and insignificant, the occupation
is incessant, and the demand never fluctuating. From this circumstance
also, the indigo imported from England and other parts of Europe
invariably meets with a ready and profitable sale amongst this class of
people, who are the merchant’s best and surest customers, and whose
annual consumption, reckoning one year with another, so little varies,
that a careful trader might calculate to within a few pounds’ weight, the
exact annual demand for indigo of any given village in Syria, and
accordingly carry on a safe and profitable trade in this one article
alone. These dyers usually marry, and are given in marriage amongst
themselves, and the children are brought up to the trade of their
fathers; but in all other respects, they are the same as the rest of the
Greek community, attending regularly at their churches, strict observers
of fasts and festivals, and mingling freely with all their fellow
citizens of whatever creed or calling.
Next to these comes the sedate Armenian, clad in a sombre grey cloak,
trimmed with ermine, and a slovenly black handkerchief bound round his
almost threadbare _gibbeh_; he is walking with a countryman, and a fellow
creedsman of his own; and though the latter is the better clad and
cleanlier looking, he is far from being the wealthier; they are both,
however, on the same intimate footing as though equals in birth, riches,
and station; both out more for exercise and to talk about business, than
from any wish to join in the recreations that are passing around them.
The first man—the meaner looking of the two—is very possibly possessor of
about 20,000 piastres; he is a banker of the Pachalik, and right-hand man
of all the Pashas who come into power; from them he derives no small
profit, but it is not from this source alone that his revenues flow; even
the poor man who is now his companion, is one among the many of his
countrymen, who pay into his coffers an annual tax on certain stipulated
conditions. In Aleppo, and all over Turkey and Syria, almost every cook
in European and wealthy Oriental families, is an Armenian; these
Armenians come from their own country in search of employment, and on
arriving at Aleppo, being friendless, and without any recommendation as
to character, etc., they seek out those who profess the same creed as
themselves, and by them are introduced to the protection of a banker, who
will guarantee their honesty, provided the man pays him an annual
per-centage upon his wages. This is agreed to, and a compact being made,
the _serraff_ himself exerts his best influence amongst the circles of
his acquaintance to obtain for his protegée a situation in an opulent
family. As the English are generally the best pay-masters, he first
tries them; if he succeeds, the young man is placed under the tuition of
a professed cook of his own creed, and his career in life commences. The
banker adds the man’s name to the thick folio volume, in which he has
already registered those of the numerous tax-payers that help to enrich
his coffers; and though on an average one with another, they only pay
about twenty piastres per annum, still, considering the vast numbers who
are under this obligation, the total amount derived from this source
makes a considerable sum. On the other hand the banker, who possesses a
certain extent of influence with the Pashas, stands by his countrymen in
any case of emergency, and if needs must, is ready to advance any money
to procure the release of a delinquent, or to help in his flight, as the
Armenians are extremely jealous of their character for honesty and
integrity, and it may with truth be observed, that with very few
exceptions, they make excellent servants—faithful, steady, and
industrious, and are seldom, if ever, addicted to liquor; if they do
cheat their own masters, they take care that no one else in the household
shall. And this is a notorious fact, particularly in Aleppo, that the
prices of meat and vegetables, etc., are fixed by a tariff every year
amongst the Armenian servants, and as their name is legion, and every
second family has an Armenian cook, the greater mass of the people
usually pay at the same rate or proportion for their provisions, though
it is well-known that the poorer classes obtain the same supplies from
the very same tradesmen with whom the wealthier families deal, at a lower
price; still, for convenience’ sake, these peccadilloes are winked at,
and the Armenians justify their petty thefts, and accommodate their
consciences to their perpetration, by the reflection, that if they did
not cheat, _others_ would, and thus further encourage dishonesty amongst
the rest of the servants.
The Armenians have passed by, and another couple of individuals attract
our attention; their faces are long and sallow, their features marked,
eyes sunken, beard profuse, and in the contracted brow there is much that
indicates selfish thoughts; the meanness of their scant attire, is only
to be surpassed by the filthiness of their general appearance. Did you
notice yonder young Mahommedan spit on the ground, or in the faces of
these two as they passed him, while he petulantly muttered, that this day
would prove to him an unlucky one, from the moment he had encountered
these two men? You will ask the reason of this; it is because they are
of that once mighty people, Yahoodee, or Israel, whom Mahommedans regard
as the cursed of God, the refuse of the earth, who are treated with less
consideration than the meagre curs that slink along the streets; for a
Jew does not dare to pass by on the right hand of the Moslem. Yet these
Hebrews are now so well inured to hardship and insult, that they wisely
pursue their way, regardless of all around, their whole soul wrapt up in
the one absorbing thought—gain. If words and blows are sometimes
inflicted upon them by the lords of the land, they at least have the
gratification of knowing that there is not one amongst their brethren,
but who avails himself of every opportunity to swindle and defraud every
customer with whom they may chance to have transactions; and even the
coins which pass through their hands never escape without being
diminished in weight. As an instance of their innate propensity for
defrauding, I will record an anecdote which occurred at Damascus some
years ago. A Jew having been convicted of coining gold _saadeeyeh_ (nine
piastres), was punished by the government by having half his beard shaved
off, and mounted on an ass, with his face turned towards the tail, and a
European hat on his head; in this way he was conducted through the city,
preceded by a crier, proclaiming his crime. Through bribery and interest
he was set at liberty, and shortly afterwards recommenced his nefarious
practices; the second time, however, he resorted to the filing of coin,
and being again discovered, the Cadi ordered his hands to be cut off, as
the most effectual means of preventing a recurrence of such tricks. Even
this did not put a atop to his cheating, for having initiated his son
into his arts, they together devised the mode of dissolving a part of the
money in strong acid. Being for the third time discovered, both father
and son were hanged.
The very name _Yahoodee_, or _Jew_, is tantamount in the East to
swindler. Yet it is a most remarkable fact, that fallen and degraded
though the race be—their position only equivalent to a state of perpetual
serfdom—you never meet with a Jew who gains his livelihood by manual
labour, or by begging for his bread. They neither till the ground, nor
follow the plough, nor yet exercise themselves in any agricultural
pursuits; neither are there amongst them day-labourers, or mechanics; and
all this arises from the species of Freemasonry which links these fallen
people together, and induces them to assist and support one another in
times of the greatest need and difficulty. Hence it arises that every
Jew, from an early age is, as it were, launched into the world by the
assistance of his co-religionists. They usually begin life in the
pastry-cook line; for to sell fruits, would be like carrying coals to
Newcastle, in such a country as Syria, where every man has his own
garden, or, if he be not possessed of this, the markets are stocked to
overflowing. After this, they become petty tradesmen, and with a
stock-in-trade of some half-dozen loaves of sugar, a few pounds of
coffee, spices, etc., the whole perhaps not exceeding three or four
hundred piastres, he migrates to the surrounding villages, barters or
sells, comes back again and replenishes his stock, and so goes on adding
mite to mite till he is enabled to set up a _Dekkan_ in the bazaar. The
wheel of fortune having commenced turning, he climbs up warily, and it
may be slowly, yet securely, to an ample independence for his old age;
and there are many very wealthy Hebrew families in Syria, whose origin
might be traced to such as just I have described. When a Jew has once
amassed wealth, it seldom if ever happens that he falls low in the scale
again.
In later years, the condition of this persecuted people has been much
improved in the Ottoman dominions, and they may be now said to enjoy all
those advantages and privileges which are afforded to other foreigners
residing within the limits of the Turkish dominions; hence, it is to be
hoped, if we may be permitted to judge by the signs of the times, that
the day is not far off when they will be again restored to their land,
and when in the words of the prophet, it may be said, “_They shall be my
people_, _and I will be their God_.” In fact a society has been formed
in England for the purchasing of land in Palestine to enable Jews to
settle there. But these privileges have not always been enjoyed by this
unhappy people; not more than twenty years ago the barbarities practised
upon them seem almost incredible. A friend told me of an incident that
occurred in Servia when a famine, or a pestilence, had ceased to ravage
the country, there was a grand procession and thanksgiving, and in the
edict of the Governor, it was not only proclaimed, but carried into
execution, that at every quarter of a mile a donkey and a Jew should be
sacrificed; thus classing them together, and ruthlessly shedding the
blood of two of the most unoffending creatures of the Creator. But the
Jews and their sorrows and persecutions are, I trust, passing by, as a
firman has lately been obtained from the Turkish government, through the
influence of Sir M. Montefiore, which secures the Jews like privileges
with the Christians; this boon was presented to them by Col. Churchill,
who, in 1841, during his official residence in Damascus, exerted himself
strenuously and successfully to relieve them from the consequences of the
persecution they had undergone in the well known affair of Padre Thomaso.
And now comes a stately horseman, whose very steed seems to paw the
ground more proudly than others, as though conscious of the fact that he
carries on his back one of the lords of the land. This is a Turkish
Effendi, his long loose cloth cloak is thickly trimmed with ermine; his
horse-trappings are magnificent—his countenance full of importance and
gravity—his beard black and wagging to and fro in a haughty commanding
style; he looks neither to the right nor to the left—acknowledges no
salutations, though the people rise as he passes, and bow their heads
subserviently to the earth; behind him rides a gaily dressed youth,
carrying in his hand the ready lit _chibuk_; look at the amber
mouthpiece, richly set with brilliants and emeralds, and then you may
form some conception of the importance and wealth of this great
functionary. The occupations of the Turks are various, for being lords
of the land they and they alone, in most parts of the country, occupy the
posts of Government. Amongst them, we may first rank the independent
beys and effendis—nobles of the land, wealthy from inheritance, and most
generally possessed of extensive gardens and plantations, these are the
aristocracy—they have no cares as to how they shall live—no thought as to
their sustenance—their mansions are capacious—their studs splendid—their
repasts sumptuous—their harems filled with the choicest flowers of
Georgia and Circassia. They regularly attend the mosques, and keep their
fasts and festivals, and if they have anything to trouble their minds, it
most assuredly arises from a similar inconvenience to that which the
_fool_ in the Scriptures was exposed—viz., the want of extensive
granaries wherein to warehouse their fast increasing riches. Next to
these we may reckon Government employés, who, though virtually invested
with greater authority than these beys (who hold no official position),
in reality are subjected to their whims and caprices. Of this class are
the Pashas, Cadis, etc., etc.,—men who are generally well off so long as
they remain in office, but whose position would be very dubious indeed
were they once deprived of their main staff in life—their salaries.
The rest of the Moslem population may be divided into three classes,
viz., merchants, tradesmen, and household domestics; the latter if they
be Mahommedans, will seldom serve the native Christians, though they will
sometimes place themselves under European masters in order to be
protected from taxation, or being enlisted into the army. Of the former,
from the time of the Caliphs, Turkey has been celebrated for the wealth
of her merchants, and for their upright, honest method of transacting
business. However, though the uprightness of the old Mahommedan merchant
remains his wealth is on the decline, and is passing into other hands.
Most of the opulent merchants of Baghdad are Moslems who, regularly once
a year subject themselves to a long and inconvenient journey to Aleppo
and return so as to superintend and watch over their own interests; and
like the old tales of the Arabian Nights, rich scented spices spread
their odour over the desert far and wide. Besides these other merchants
from Mecca turn a devout pilgrimage into a mercantile transaction, and
carry back with them many rare articles—otto of roses, and other scents,
which usually attract a multitude of eager purchasers. The trades
followed by most Mahommedans, are those of carpenters, locksmiths,
tanners, shoemakers, sawyers, saddlers, and saddle embroiderers. Of
these, the saddlers and the shoemakers rank first. The carpenters are
expert tradesmen, and Damascus abounds with turners, known to bring work
to a highly finished state.
And now these two have passed before us, and a fresh sight attracts
attention. Fierce-looking fellows, three in number, now appear, their
heads girt with long flowing silk handkerchiefs, of a bright yellow
colour; their beards are thick, black and curly; their features
sun-burnt; their eyebrows knit, and there is a lurking savage look in
their eyes which speaks volumes of treachery and bloodshed. Long loose
striped dresses with horse-hair girths, loose shintians, and the ordinary
Syrian red boots, complete their costume. They are mounted on Arab
steeds of the purest breed; slung by their left side is a scimitar of
fine Damascene steel; each carries on his shoulder a long polished
_Roomah_, or lance, from which hangs tassels of various gay colors.
These horseman are Bedouins of the Desert, who perhaps, have come hither
to spy out the land under the pretence of a friendly visit on mercantile
business; but what is more likely to be the reason, to find out when next
a caravan, or travellers, will pass through the desert. No one fears
them now, since their number is too small, when compared to the crowds
which are on the alert and passing to and fro. Still, these Bedouins may
even at this very moment be plotting a similar carnage and attack to that
which was made at Aleppo, so recently as 1850. Notwithstanding the
ferocity of their nature, “their hand still being against every man,” yet
they never are guilty of a breach of faith or friendship. As an instance
of this, an Arab was once at Damascus, and received civilities from a
Damascene, who gave him some bread and tobacco. About two years passed,
when it so happened that this man was going to Aleppo with a caravan,
which was attacked, and, happily for all, the traveller was recognised by
one of the Bedouins, who proved to be the very man who had received
hospitality at Damascus.
Next on our panoramic sketch we find two hardy labourers, fine robust
looking men; these are the _fellahen_, and their vocation in life is
restricted to tilling the ground; but there are some amongst them who
follow the occupation of farriers, and some few in the larger towns are
blacksmiths, tinkers, and shopkeepers; but those that occupy our
attention at present wear too healthy an aspect to be taken for citizens.
They are peasants from a neighbouring village, and to them Sunday is a
day of rest; during the weekdays they are early risers (up with the lark,
and even before this “_bird hath shaken the dew-drop from her wing_”); to
them sleep has been a boon indeed—a luxury that few who are not
accustomed to hard manual labour can be supposed to enjoy. The careful
thrifty wife, although her husband is an early riser, was up before him,
lighting the fire, and preparing his early meal. He gets up, and goes
through his ablutions; and I may here remark, that Europeans in general,
and especially the English, form a very incorrect notion as to the habits
of the poorer class of natives in Syria, since few people are more
careful in their rigid adherence to cleanliness, though their brown
sun-burnt skin gives strangers an idea to the contrary. His breakfast
consists of a few loaves, resembling Scotch cakes, on which cheese, and
on fast days olives, mashed together, are carefully rolled up; sometimes,
as an extra dainty, a little cold stew from yesterday’s dinner, or a
small dish of _leban_, gives a relish to his keen appetite; and having
finished this he shoulders his plough, loosens his cattle, and followed
close at the heels by his house-dog, goes forth to his labour till
evening. He has generally arrived at the field of action before the sun
gets up to look at him, and he never leaves it till the fiery sun, red
with heat, has sunk below the horizon. Truly, a labourer in Syria is a
living specimen of the curse brought upon mankind by the disobedience of
Adam—“_He earns his daily bread by the sweat of his brow_.” Every day,
save on fasts and festivals, his toil never ceases. At the commencement
of the year, his first and most laborious occupation is that of rearing
silk-worms, of which I shall now proceed to give a description.