egypt-第4节

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〃Bestir　yourselves　before　it　is　too　late。　Defend　yourselves　against

this　disintegrating　invasionnot　by　force；　be　it　understood；　not　by

inhospitality　or　ill…humourbut　by　disdaining　this　Occidental

rubbish；　this　last　year's　frippery　by　which　you　are　inundated。　Try　to

preserve　not　only　your　traditions　and　your　admirable　Arab　language；

but　also　the　grace　and　mystery　that　used　to　characterise　your　town；

the　refined　luxury　of　your　dwelling…houses。　It　is　not　a　question　now

of　a　poet's　fancy；　your　national　dignity　is　at　stake。　You　are

/Orientals/I　pronounce　respectfully　that　word；　which　implies　a　whole

past　of　early　civilisation；　of　unmingled　greatnessbut　in　a　few

years；　unless　you　are　on　your　guard；　you　will　have　become　mere

Levantine　brokers；　exclusively　preoccupied　with　the　price　of　land　and

the　rise　in　cotton。〃







CHAPTER　III



THE　MOSQUES　OF　CAIRO



They　are　almost　innumerable；　more　than　3000；　and　this　great　town；

which　covers　some　twelve　miles　of　plain；　might　well　be　called　a　city

of　mosques。　（I　speak；　of　course；　of　the　ancient　Cairo；　of　the　Cairo　of

the　Arabs。　The　new　Cairo；　the　Cairo　of　sham　elegance　and　of　〃Semiramis

Hotels；〃　does　not　deserve　to　be　mentioned　except　with　a　smile。）



A　city　of　mosques；　then；　as　I　was　saying。　They　follow　one　another

along　the　streets；　sometimes　two；　three；　four　in　a　row；　leaning　one

against　the　other；　so　that　their　confines　become　merged。　On　all　sides

their　minarets　shoot　up　into　the　air；　those　minarets　embellished　with

arabesques；　carved　and　complicated　with　the　most　changing　fancy。　They

have　their　little　balconies；　their　rows　of　little　columns；　they　are　so

fashioned　that　the　daylight　shows　through　them。　Some　are　far　away　in

the　distance；　others　quite　close；　pointing　straight　into　the　sky　above

our　heads。　No　matter　where　one　looksas　far　as　the　eye　can　seestill

there　are　others；　all　of　the　same　familiar　colour；　a　brown　turning

into　rose。　The　most　ancient　of　them；　those　of　the　old　easy…tempered

times；　bristle　with　shafts　of　wood；　placed　there　as　resting…places　for

the　great　free　birds　of　the　air；　and　vultures　and　ravens　may　always　be

seen　perched　there；　contemplating　the　horizon　of　the　sands；　the　line

of　the　yellow　solitudes。



Three　thousand　mosques！　Their　great　straight　walls；　a　little　severe

perhaps；　and　scarcely　pierced　by　their　tiny　ogive　windows；　rise　above

the　height　of　the　neighbouring　houses。　These　walls　are　of　the　same

brown　colour　as　the　minarets；　except　that　they　are　painted　with

horizontal　stripes　of　an　old　red；　which　has　been　faded　by　the　sun；　and

they　are　crowned　invariably　with　a　series　of　trefoils；　after　the

fashion　of　battlements；　but　trefoils　which　in　every　case　are　different

and　surprising。



Before　the　mosques；　which　are　raised　like　altars；　there　is　always　a

flight　of　steps　with　a　balustrade　of　white　marble。　From　the　door　one

gets　a　glimpse　of　the　calm　interior　in　deep　shadow。　Once　inside　there

are　corridors；　astonishingly　lofty；　sonorous　and　enveloped　in　a　kind

of　half　gloom；　immediately　on　entering　one　experiences　a　sense　of

coolness　and　pervading　peace；　they　prepare　you　as　it　were；　and　you

begin　to　be　filled　with　a　spirit　of　devotion；　and　instinctively　to

speak　low。　In　the　narrow　street　outside　there　was　the　clamorous　uproar

of　an　Oriental　crowd；　cries　of　sellers；　and　the　noise　of　humble　old…

world　trading；　men　and　beasts　jostled　you；　there　seemed　a　scarcity　of

air　beneath　those　so　numerous　overhanging　mushrabiyas。　But　here

suddenly　there　is　silence；　broken　only　by　the　vague　murmur　of　prayers

and　the　sweet　songs　of　birds；　there　is　silence　too；　and　the　sense　of

open　space；　in　the　holy　garden　enclosed　within　high　walls；　and　again

in　the　sanctuary；　resplendent　in　its　quiet　and　restful　magnificence。

Few　people　as　a　rule　frequent　the　mosques；　except　of　course　at　the

hours　of　the　five　services　of　the　day。　In　a　few　chosen　corners；

particularly　cool　and　shady；　some　greybeards　isolate　themselves　to

read　from　morning　till　night　the　holy　books　and　to　ponder　the　thought

of　approaching　death：　they　may　be　seen　there　in　their　white　turbans；

with　their　white　beards　and　grave　faces。　And　there　may　be；　too；　some

few　poor　homeless　outcasts；　who　are　come　to　seek　the　hospitality　of

Allah；　and　sleep；　careless　of　the　morrow；　stretched　to　their　full

length　on　mats。



The　peculiar　charm　of　the　gardens　of　the　mosques；　which　are　often　very

extensive；　is　that　they　are　so　jealously　enclosed　within　their　high

wallscrowned　always　with　stone　trefoilswhich　completely　shut　out

the　hubbub　of　the　outer　world。　Palm…trees；　which　have　grown　there　for

some　hundred　years　perhaps；　rise　from　the　ground；　either　separately　or

in　superb　clusters；　and　temper　the　light　of　the　always　hot　sun　on　the

rose…trees　and　the　flowering　hibiscus。　There　is　no　noise　in　the

gardens；　any　more　than　in　the　cloisters；　for　people　walk　there　in

sandals　and　with　measured　tread。　And　there　are　Edens；　too；　for　the

birds；　who　live　and　sing　therein　in　complete　security；　even　during　the

services；　attracted　by　the　little　troughs　which　the　imams　fill　for

their　benefit　each　morning　with　water　from　the　Nile。



As　for　the　mosque　itself　it　is　rarely　closed　on　all　sides　as　are　those

in　the　countries　of　the　more　sombre　Islam　of　the　north。　Here　in　Egypt

since　there　is　no　real　winter　and　scarcely　ever　any　rainone　of　the

sides　of　the　mosque　is　left　completely　open　to　the　garden；　and　the

sanctuary　is　separated　from　the　verdure　and　the　roses　only　by　a　simple

colonnade。　Thus　the　faithful　grouped　beneath　the　palm…trees　can　pray

there　equally　as　well　as　in　the　interior　of　the　mosque；　since　they　can

see；　between　the　arches；　the　holy　Mihrab。＇*＇



＇*＇　The　Mihrab　is　a　kind　of　portico　indicating　the　direction　of　Mecca。

　　　　It　is　placed　at　the　end　of　each　mosque；　as　the　altar　is　in　our

　　　　churches；　and　the　faithful　are　supposed　to　face　it　when　they　pray。



Oh！　this　sanctuary　seen　from　the　silent　garden；　this　sanctuary　in

which　the　pale　gold　gleams　on　the　old　ceiling　of　cedarwood；　and

mosaics　of　mother…of…pearl　shine　on　the　walls　as　if　they　were

embroideries　of　silver　that　had　been　hung　there。



There　is　no　faience　as　in　the　mosques　of　Turkey　or　of　Iran。　Here　it　is

the　triumph　of　patient　mosaic。　Mother…of…pearl　of　all　colours；　all

kinds　of　marble　and　of　porphyry；　cut　into　myriads　of　little　pieces；

precise　and　equal；　and　put　together　again　to　form　the　Arab　designs；

which；　never　borrowing　from　the　human　form；　nor　indeed　from　the　form

of　any　animal；　recall　rather　those　infinitely　varied　crystals　that　may

be　seen　under　the　microscope　in　a　flake　of　snow。　It　is　always　the

Mihrab　which　is　decorated　with　the　most　elaborate　richness；　generally

little　columns　of　lapis　lazuli；　intensely　blue；　rise　in　relief　from

it；　framing　mosaics　so　delicate　that　they　look　like　brocades　of　fine

lace。　In　the　old　ceilings　of　cedarwood；　where　the　singing　birds　of　the

neighbourhood　have　their　nests；　the　golds　mingle　with　some　most

exquisite　colourings；　which　time　has　taken　care　to　soften　and　to　blend

together。　And　here　and　there　very　fine　and　long　consoles　of　sculptured

wood　seem　to　fall；　as　it　were；　from　the　beams　and　hang　upon　the　walls

like　stalactites；　and　these　consoles；　too；　in　past　times；　have　been

carefully　coloured　and　gilded。　As　for　the　columns；　always　dissimilar；

some　of　amaranth…coloured　marble；　others　of　dark　green；　others　again

of　red　porphyry；　with　capitals　of　every　conceivable　style；　they　are

come　from　far；　from　the　night　of　the　ages；　from　the　religious

struggles　of　an　earlier　time　and　testify　to　the　prodigious　past　which

this　valley　of　the　Nile；　narrow　as　it　is；　and　encompassed　by　the

desert；　has　known。　They　were　formerly　perhaps　in　the　temples　of　the

pagans；　or　have　known　the　strange　faces　of　the　gods　of　Egypt　and　of

ancient　Greece　and　Rome；　they　have　been　in　the　churches　of　the　early

Christians；　or　have　seen　the　statues　of　tortured　martyrs；　and　the

images　of　the　transfigured　Christ；　crowned　with　the　Byzantine　aureole。

They　have　been　present　at　battles；　at　the　downfall　of　kingdoms；　at

hecatombs；　at　sacrileges；　and　now　brought　together　promiscuously　in

these　mosques；　they　behold　on　the　walls　of　the　sanctuary　simply　the

thousand　little　designs；　ideally　pure；　of　that　Islam　which　wishes　that

men　when　they　pray　should　conceive　Allah　as　immaterial；　a　Spirit

without　form　and　without　feature。



Each　one　of　these　mosques　has　its　sainted　dead；　whose　name　it　bears；

and　who　sleeps　by　its　side；　in　an　adjoining　mortuary　kiosk；　some

priest　rendered　admirable　by　his　virtues；　or　perhaps　a　khedive　of

earlier　times；　or　a　soldier；　or　a　martyr。　And　the　mausoleum；　which

communicates　with　the　sanctuary　by　means　of　a　long　passage；　sometimes

open；　sometimes　covered　with　gratings；　is　surmounted　always　by　a

special　kind　of　cupola；　a　very　high　and　curious　cupola；　which　raises

itself　into　the　sky　like　some　gigantic　dervish　hat。　Above　the　Arab

town；　and　even　in　the　sand　of　the　neighbour