2. Persia.—Glad to leave the warlike Afghans, we enter Persia. A great deal of the country is dry and barren; but wherever the fields are watered the soil is very productive.
Persia is a land of fruits. It is the native home of the peach and the melon. Flowers abound. Fields of roses are raised, and hyacinths grow wild. There are large mulberry plantations, and great quantities of silk are produced.
The Persians are famed for their shawls and carpets.
A Persian sleeping-room.
In ancient times this was one of the most powerful countries in the world. But its glory is departed, and Persia is scarcely reckoned among the nations.
3. Arabia.—Let us cross the Persian gulf to Arabia. Here, as in Persia, we find a great deal of desert land. The coast region and the valleys, however, are very productive, and there are fertile spots even in the midst of the desert.
Like Persia, Arabia is a land of fruits. Dates, melons, pomegranates, grapes, figs, oranges, and citrons abound. The best coffee in the world comes from Mocha. Gum arabic is largely gathered. It derives its name from the country. It is the dried sap of the acacia tree.
Some of the people of Arabia live in cities and villages as we do. Others who are called Bedouins (bed'oo-eens) live in the desert. They have tents instead of houses, and keep large numbers of horses and camels. Their horses are celebrated for their fleetness and intelligence.
A party of Bedouins.
Mec'ca, the birthplace of Mohammed, and Medina, his burial place, are holy cities of the Mohammedans.
Once at least in his life every good Mohammedan must go on a pilgrimage to these cities. It is part of his religion. When the pilgrim is nearing Mecca, he must dismount from his camel and approach the sacred place on foot.
The Mohammedans say their prayers several times in the day. Instead of a church bell to remind them of the proper time, they have men to call out from the minarets or spires of the mosques, "To prayers, to prayers, O true believers!" They always pray with their faces turned in the direction of Mecca.
Mohammedan women, particularly those who live in cities, wear veils out of doors. These are very long and wide and cover the entire head and face, leaving only two little holes for the eyes. At the court of the Sultan both men and women wear modern European dress.
4. Turkey.—While visiting Europe we found that the head or capital of the Turkish or Ottoman Empire was in that continent. The other portion, or body of the Empire, lies chiefly in Asia, and is called Turkey in Asia. The capital of the empire is Constantinople.
Constantinople.
