'Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, including a journey from Bagdad by Mount Zagros, to Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, researches in Ispahan and the ruins of Persepolis, and journey from thence by Shiraz and Shapoor to the sea-shore. Description of Bussorah, Bushire, Bahrein, Ormuz, and Muscat, narrative of an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, with illustrations of the voyage of Nearchus, and passage by the Arabian Sea to Bombay.' [‎223] (254/582)

VISIT TO THE MOSQUES AND COLLEGES.
223
learned, and the education of youth. In these are courts, with
fountains, shaded by the finest trees, as well as flower-gardens, fruits,
and all that could render retirement at once cheerful, yet undis
turbed, and favourable to literary pursuits. We remained in this
mosque for a considerable time, praying and counting our beads.
As we ran through the ninety and nine appellations of the deity,
some of the Moollahs expounded, in Persian, certain Arabic verses
of the Koran. They spoke from an elevated oratory, ascended to
by flights of marble steps, each entire flight of one solid block; and
with several of these we exchanged the salute of peace, while Ismael
strove to draw them into a conversation on some of the higher
points of doctrine; but as they saw that our practices were those
of the Soonnee sect, whom they very cordially hate, they all proudly
shunned us, which left us as undisturbed as we could have
wished.
The mosque was crowded at noon with worshippers, perhaps
to the number of two thousand; some of whom offered up their
prayers alone and almost in silence, while others ranged them
selves behind Imams, or leaders, and gave their devotions all the
public solemnity of union. The beautiful parable of the Publi
can could not receive a more striking illustration than from the
scene before us ; and the gorgeous splendour of the dome, beneath
which it was witnessed, added powerfully to its effect.
Some of the mosques at Cairo are exceedingly fine, and pre
serve perhaps some of the best specimens of the Saracenic archi
tecture that exist. The mosque of Omar, which stands on the
site of the old Jewish temple of Solomon at Jerusalem, has a no
ble aspect from without. That at Damascus, which was formerly a
Christian cathedral, is beautiful, from its long avenues of Corin
thian columns of marble. The court of the great mosque at
Aleppo is perhaps nowhere surpassed; and some of these at
Diarbekr and Bagdad have parts worthy of admiration. But, taken
altogether, I have never yet seen, nor ever expect again to see,
any Mohammedan temple so truly magnificent in all its parts, as