egypt-第5章

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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　neighbouring　desert；　these　funeral

domes　may　be　seen　on　every　side　adjoining　the　old　mosques　to　which

they　belong。　And　in　the　evening；　when　the　light　is　failing；　they

suggest　the　odd　idea　that　it　is　the　dead　man　himself；　immensely

magnified；　who　stands　there　beneath　a　hat　that　is　become　immense。　One

can　pray；　if　one　wishes；　in　this　resting…place　of　the　dead　saint　as

well　as　in　the　mosque。　Here　indeed　it　is　always　more　secluded　and　more

in　shadow。　It　is　more　simple；　too；　at　least　up　to　the　height　of　a　man：

on　a　platform　of　white　marble；　more　or　less　worn　and　yellowed　by　the

touch　of　pious　hands；　nothing　more　than　an　austere　catafalque　of

similar　marble；　ornamented　merely　with　a　Cufic　inscription。　But　if　you

raise　your　eyes　to　look　at　the　interior　of　the　domethe　inside；　as　it

were；　of　the　strange　dervish　hatyou　will　see　shining　between　the

clusters　of　painted　and　gilded　stalactites　a　number　of　windows　of

exquisite　colouring；　little　windows　that　seem　to　be　constellations　of

emeralds　and　rubies　and　sapphires。　And　the　birds；　you　may　be　sure；

have　their　nests　also　in　the　house　of　the　holy　one。　They　are　wont

indeed　to　soil　the　carpets　and　the　mats　on　which　the　worshippers

kneel；　and　their　nests　are　so　many　blots　up　there　amid　the　gildings　of

the　carved　cedarwood；　but　then　their　song；　the　symphony　that　issues

from　that　aviary；　is　so　sweet　to　the　living　who　pray　and　to　the　dead

who　dream。　。　。　。



*****



But　yet；　when　all　is　said；　these　mosques　seem　somehow　to　be　wanting。

They　do　not　wholly　satisfy　you。　The　access　to　them　perhaps　is　too

easy；　and　one　feels　too　near　to　the　modern　quarters　of　the　town；　where

the　hotels　are　full　of　visitorsso　that　at　any　moment；　it　seems；　the

spell　may　be　broken　by　the　entry　of　a　batch　of　Cook's　tourists；　armed

with　the　inevitable　/Baedeker/。　Alas！　they　are　the　mosques　of　Cairo；

of　poor　Cairo；　that　is　invaded　and　profaned。　The　memory　turns　to　those

of　Morocco；　so　jealously　guarded；　to　those　of　Persia；　even　to　those　of

Old　Stamboul；　where　the　shroud　of　Islam　envelops　you　in　silence　and

gently　bows　your　shoulders　as　soon　as　you　cross　their　thresholds。



And　yet　what　pains　are　being　taken　to…day　to　preserve　these　mosques；

which　in　olden　times　were　such　delightful　retreats。　Neglected　for

whole　centuries；　never　repaired；　notwithstanding　the　veneration　of

their　heedless　worshippers；　the　greater　part　of　them　were　fallen　into

ruin；　the　fine　woodwork　of　their　interiors　had　become　worm…eaten；

their　cupolas　were　cracked　and　their　mosaics　covered　the　floor　as　with

a　hail　of　mother…of…pearl；　of　porphyry　and　marble。　It　seemed　that　to

repair　all　this　was　a　task　incapable　of　fulfilment；　it　was　sheer

folly；　people　said；　to　conceive　the　idea　of　it。



Nevertheless；　for　nearly　twenty　years　now　an　army　of　workers　has　been

at　the　task；　sculptors；　marble…cutters；　mosaicists。　Already　certain　of

the　sanctuaries；　the　most　venerable　of　them　indeed；　have　been　entirely

renovated。　After　having　re…echoed　for　some　years　to　the　sounds　of

hammers　and　chisels；　during　the　course　of　these　vast　renovations；　they

are　restored　now　to　peace　and　to　prayer；　and　the　birds　have

recommenced　to　build　their　nests　in　them。



It　will　be　the　glory　of　the　present　reign　that　it　has　preserved；

before　it　was　too　late；　all　this　magnificent　legacy　of　Moslem　art。

When　the　city　of　〃The　Arabian　Nights；〃　which　was　formerly　there；　shall

have　entirely　disappeared；　to　give　place　to　a　vulgar　/entrepot/　of

commerce　and　of　pleasure；　to　which　the　plutocracy　of　the　whole　world

comes　every　winter　to　disport　itself；　so　much　at　least　will　remain　to

bear　testimony　to　the　lofty　and　magnificent　thought　that　inspired　the

earlier　Arab　life。　These　mosques　will　continue　to　remain　into　the

distant　future；　even　when　men　shall　have　ceased　to　pray　in　them；　and

the　winged　guests　shall　have　departed；　for　the　want　of　those　troughs

of　water　from　the　Nile；　filled　for　them　by　the　good　imams；　whose

hospitality　they　repay　by　making　h