The Gate of Asia: A Journey from the Persian Gulf to the Black SeaThe first chapter of this book gives a brief justification for writing a travel memoir about these particular civilizations. The author begins with the problem of defining the border between East and West. Physical geography is inadequate, since human civilizations span geographic dividing lines, but the civilizations themselves are also inadequate to draw definite lines. He identifies the cultural influence of Persian and Syrian (and Turkish) peoples as the clear dividing line between "east" and "west," defining them together as "The Gate of Asia." Warfield describes and discusses the places and cultures he visits. The conditions of roads in cities, for example, or the number and type of languages local people know, are included. He repeats stories of local color that he hears from Europeans living along his route. |
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Allah American ancient animals Arab arch Armenian Asia Asoufi Assyrian Babylon Bagdad Bagdad Railway bank bazaars beautiful Bitlis brick bridge building built camels capital caravan castle centre Chaldæan chief Christian church consul costume crossed crowd Ctesiphon desert dome donkey door doorway dress East Edwin Warfield empire entered feet Finik flocks frontier gardens gate gorge Hakkiari horses journey Kalifate kavass Kerkuk Khan Khoshab Kurdish Kurdistan Kurds Lake Lake Van looked massacre Melek Taus miles Moslem mosque Mosul mounds mountain muleteers narrow neighbours Nestorian night officers once palace passed Persian picturesque pilgrims race ridge rifle river road rock rode roof ruins Russian Semitic sheep Sheikh side snow steep stone stream streets Sultan Syrian Tabriz Tel Kaif Tigris tomb town tribes troops Turkey Turkish Turks Urartu Urmi Ussher Vali valley village walls Yezidis zaptiehs
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Page 51 - Mustafa had no intention of dividing his baksheesh with a porter. A shrill discussion ensued, in which our servant joined, and, worsted, Yusef returned to his blankets in the niche within the door. That was a weird walk through the deserted streets. At first the starlight revealed the scene beyond the uncertain flashes from the swinging lantern. Soon projecting upper storeys shut out all but a narrow strip of sky. The lantern light splashed on massive doors and barred windows. We entered the bazaar....
Page 57 - Sahib ! This matter happened to a sheikh of the desert, a Bedouin, not like the people of the city but a dweller in tents, filthy, and a Moslem.' Thomas was a Chaldean of Bagdad, and feared as much as he despised the dwellers in the desert. ' This man was about to die, and called his animals about him, asking them to forgive what wrongs he had done them. His mare looked tearfully upon her master and said she had nought to forgive ; she had had milk from the camels and water provided i.
Page 68 - ... a man. This great block of stone must have been a curiosity indeed in this land of clay where even a pebble is unheard of. Why it was brought here and how would certainly make an interesting story. It may have been a trophy brought to grace a Babylonian triumph; it may have been an offering from an Assyrian king to appease the god of Babylon for the removal of the capital to Nineveh. Be that as it may, the long journey down the Tigris valley and across the plains of Irak must have been an eventful...
Page 69 - ... their knowledge down through their neighbours to the Roman architects or was the value of the arch discovered independently at different times? Upon this page of architectural history the writing is so dim that I fear it will never be read. Entering Nebuchadnezzar's palace we find the...
Page 65 - But thy donkey, we know, was an ugly brute and old, and not worth two liras!' "'Nay; rather was he an animal of great beauty, pure white without a blemish, and scarcely five years of age. Surely he was of great value. But now that he has been stolen and knows me not, I will make a concession to you and value him at one hundred liras.' "So they bargained over the donkey and then over the man, and fixed upon his value less than that of the donkey at last. The father must pay thirty liras to the murdered...
Page 62 - Once we passed a group of mounds covered with shards marking the spot where once a village stood. Only one miserable group of huts was still inhabited. There was no one to greet us but dogs and a ragged child, for men, women, and children were out caring for the sheep or toiling to raise water from the deep wells to irrigate the palm gardens and the slender crops of grass. As the day wore on the horizon became fringed with palms. There was no mirage, for the desert no longer gave back the slanting...