The Hummum or Turkish bath
These edifices of which there are great numbers in all turkish towns are similar in principle to the Terme of the ancient Romans - the turks observe cleanliness as a religious duty enjoined by the Koran - the women are to frequent the bath at least once a week - hence the paleness of the countenace of those that have past their youthfull years -

The Hummum is divided into three rooms which the ancients call'd the Apodyterium - or dressing room the 2nd the tepidario - or room of tepid temperature- and the 3rd sudatio or sweating room -

At entering the first named room there were raised platforms on which were cushions & an odd sight it was to see the turks with their shaved heads seated rapped in cloths & cooling after they had come from the sudatio - sipping coffee or smoking nargales - pillows were shown me and I immediately stripped tying a blue apron which was handed me round my waist - for the turks never expose the person entirely naked - wooden clogs were given me on which I went into the next room the tepidarium - remained a few minutes and then proceeded to the sweating room which has a marble pavement heated with hot water - and small marble cisterns supplied by cocks with hot & cold water - at first going in found the steam almost suffocating - but sitting down on the pavement, found it by degrees more bearable - in about ten minutes was sweating at every pore -

The manipulator came - a young boy stripped like myself - I lay down on a hot marble slab - almost broiling - on my back- he chafed and streched my limbs - the steam and sweating makes the joints extremely supple - this operation over, which to the uninitiated is rather alarming - you are delivered over to a scrubber who with a rough cloth rubbed me in a way that I never was before - the outer skin softened by the steam rolled off my arms and back in quantities - then came the lathering - and finally the drenching in hot water - all which occupied nearly half an hour returning to the tepid room to cool was red as a boiled lobster -

The attendants are very active you are covered with cloths immediately - and so covered go back to the dressing room - and reclined on the cushions undergo a profuse sweat previous to dressing - during which you may drink coffee or sherbet or smoke - or sleep - which latter was the case with me - unaccustomed to the opporation of the turkish bath - felt a sluggish languid sensation which continued with me for the rest of the day - for all this work - six piastres (25 cents) was only charged - - - when finished I certainly might say that I was never personally so thoroughly cleansed before

view pages: 1, 2, 3, 4

Spent this day pretty much as the preceding - visited Mr. Parlachi, son in law of Mr. Black the english merchant of Constantinople - Mr. P is a fine young man of great frankness of manner - a native of Smyrna - but of Polish origin as the name indicates - he has handsome furnished apartments in his mothers house - had the misfortune to break one of the handsome mahogany chairs in romping with him and the other youngsters assembled - drank only sherbet of cherry sirrop so that I must have been perfectly sober -

view pages: 1, 2

Spent the greater part of these two days during the hot sunshine in my room at Pera - taking long walks in the evenings to the Arminian burial ground - and the promenade at the petit champ des morts - taking ices at the coffee house where the ladies and their cavaliers are attracted by a band of music - all Italians & Greeks - for turkish ladies are never seen out after sunset

view page: 1

Conflagration
About one o'clock this morning was awoke by a loud knocking on the pavement and a loud try of Yangen var - there is a fire - which could hear repeated by the watchman in other streets - looking out of my window saw the horison lighted up across the harbour in the city and towards that part near the sea of Marmora - and beyond the aqueduct of Valens - the lofty arches of which towering above the tops of the houses were very distinct -

Dressed and went to the petit champ des morts from whence the fire was more distinct- numbers of others were already there like myself to look at the fire - which was between two & three miles off - wishing to see how they managed fires in Turkey - and in the extinguishing of which the turks are celebrated for their activity -

Went to the scene of action in company with two young Peraotes and at the risk of being taken up by the military guard - arrived at the spot among a crowd of water carriers - were violently pushed back by the muskets of the soldiers, so that we could only very imperfectly see their mode of operations - which appears to be managed with great order, and less crowd and confusion than usual on these occasions - many of the water porters were old men who with steady step carried their heavy loads to the engines - the directors were encouraging the workmen by loud exhortations - several pashas or other persons of distinction were present - their richly caparisoned horses were standing outside the crowd -

It was a calm night- the exertions of engine and hook men succeeded in putting a stop to it by 4 oclock - some fifty houses were destroyed & one mosque and the roof of a public fountain—

view pages: 1, 2, 3

Went to the bazaars in company with Mr. Singnich - who bought coffee curt holders of silver filigree work - and Broussas silks - the dealers generally asking one third more than they took - bought an embroidered muslin handkerchief and silk dressing gown - for one sovereign - equal to 110 turkish piastres - not more than half of what it would cost in America -

Partook of rice blanc mange, pastry and iced sorbetts in the bazaar - many of the dealers in the bazars must dine for about three cents on small loaf of bread and bit of cheese - nothing can exceed the economy of these people unless it is the low price at which the necessaries of life are sold at retail in the bazars

view pages: 1, 2

This is the turkish Sabbath - the Grand Seignor goes publickly to mosque - in company with Mr. Singnich and our Dragoman Giovanni - embarked from Tophanna in a nice two oared caique & rowing up to the sultans palace on the Bosphorus - found the sultans barges waiting at the Gate - two were elegantly gilt and carved with pavillions -

When we had proceeded half a mile further and towards the mosque that his highness was going to - when the line of Battleships at anchor on the Bosphorus commenced firing salvoes of artillery - the yards and rigging dressed in flags of various colours - the imperial barges put off - accompanied by numbers of caiques - the scene was one of the gayest and most lively imaginable

Sultans barges dashed thro the water at the rate of steam boats - twenty four athletic oarsmen dressed in white - rising on their feet at every stroke, and falling back pulled with the regularity of machinery - the sultan in the first boat was seated or reclining in the turkish fashion - with two or three officers of his household - the other barge equally handsome and worked in the same way was occupied by the chief of the black Eunuchs - bands of music stationed along the shore added to the effect - and on the whole was the grandest display of oriental magnificence I have yet seen -

The sultan of course arrived and landed at the mosque before us - we waited his coming out - mounted on a fine and highly decorated horse he passed within a few feet of us - he is a spare looking young man - pale faced and a fine black eye rather of a mild look than otherwise but nothing dignified - he is not quite twenty years old, but already the father of eight children - lean in flesh and somewhat emaciated, which many attribute to his excessive fondness of the pleasures of the harem -

Nearly opposite the mosque on the asiatic shore is Goksu - i.e. the heavenly water, this place is a beautifull valley and traversed by the above named rivulet - on friday is much resorted to by the upper class of turks, and frequently is visited by the Sultan - here we found a number of ladies assembled under the wide spreading plane trees, but the armed police did not permit men to approach within a very respectfull distance - they came mostly in gay arabas drawn by finely caparisoned oxen - in twelve of these came the sultans sister, wife to a pasha - and her suite of maids - in the first was seated the lady herself - rather tall with dark and expressive features - the araba in which she was seated was splendidly decorated - the maids of honour were Georgian & Circassian women - with eyes bright and expressive of which they made good use -

After driving round the ground in their grotesque vehicles went into the Kiosk - the eunuchs remaining at the door, shortly after saw caldrons of boiled indian corne in the ear going in for their refreshment - being a person of high rank was accompanied by a company of military -

view pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

To inspect the palaces this morning our company had increased to some fifty to sixty among whom were two or three ladies english & frencn - the first palace we entered was Dolma bagsche - or the bean garden - it is situated immediately on the waters edge - and composed of corridors and saloons with a profusion of guilding and our room projecting over into the Bosphorus - and of course very cool and airy - the baths were in the same style of luxury as at the Seraglio - this palace is unoccupied but is close by and attached to Beshitasche where the sultan now resides - there were a few paintings in this palace but are in bad style -

As we came in a fleet of Caiques- so we departed cross the Bosphorus to Begler Bay the favourite palace of the late Sultan Mahmoud - and much ornamented and adorned by him in somewhat european style - the floors are of well polished cherry wood and here as well as elsewhere had to take off the shoes a price of politeness very necessary in Turkey when every one sits on the ground - back of this palace are the gardens - hanging one over the other in oriental magnificence our Greek servants and Dragomans have behaved very badly - plucking the fruits and flowers -

The day being very hot we reposed for near an hour under some wide spreading platane trees - near a marble Kiosk & fish pond - near by were shown a flock of ostriches - but the uncouth birds being unused to such numbers of visitors could not be induced to approach -

We now returned to the city and such of us as were disposed went to see the remaining mosques that the firman called for - entering the city at the gate called Kapussi or Garden gate we refreshed ourselves with sherbets and sweetmeats at the numerous shops that there abound - and then followed our firman bearer, to the mosque of Sultan Ackmed which occupies a part of the Hippodrome - and is not only the chief of all the mosques, but is said to be the only one in all the ottoman that has six mineretts - these mineretts (pictured right) have three galleries - and such is their height and delicacy of construction that the beholder wonders how such lofty structures can be made to stand as they are ascended internally by the muezzim -

In this mosque which is of a much more light and airy appearance than St. Sophia - the most striking feature is the four enormous columns 36 yards in circumference that support the dome - its founder Sultan Akmid one of the most pious of the ottoman princes richly endowed this his favourite work - Korans - of most beautifull writing and embellishments lie on gilded cushions - it is here that the Mewlad or festival and birth of the prophet is held with great ceremony -

Observing a man in the costume of a turkish talking with great excitement to our greek guides and firman bearers - enquired the subject of his anger - which understood was our being permitted to come into the mosques - saying the term of the turkish nation must be at hand when infidels and Greeks were allowed to defile the holy places - his frantic gestures excited a smile from all around greeks & turks - the last or Buiazet mosque we entered was that of Bajazet - which is smaller and similar both internally & outwardly to the others - -

In the market-square close by horses are standing for hire ready saddled - mounted asses & rode to Pera - a distance of 2 miles - paying the moderate price of six piastres - (25c) - thus our visits in vistas of the firman - my share to pay the guides and Dragoman was one hundred piastres - and have been highly gratified, and seen what was some years back entirely prohibited to Christians -

view pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6