Page:The Nestorians and their rituals, volume 1.djvu/104

68 The Mohammedans hold this building in high veneration, and none visit the Zein-ool-Abedeen, a sacred shrine close by, without first performing their devotions within its walls. It was related to us by our Tatar, that about fifty years ago, one Tamr Pasha turned the church into a stable, and next morning all his horses were found dead. Several Moslems also told us that when Meerza Pasha designed to rebuild Nisibeen, he converted the building into a magazine for straw; but being warned in a dream, he ordered it to be removed immediately, and built a wall to support the falling roof of one of the apartments. He moreover offered to restore the church at his own expense, and intended to add a monastery to it, and present it to the Syrian Christians, His recal, said my informants, prevented the execution of his pious designs.

Another Mohammedan pointed out to us the position of the crescent on the dome of the shrine, the horns of which, instead of being pointed upwards, turned in the direction of the church. On inquiring the cause, he replied: "The founder of Zein-ool-Abedeen always prayed towards the tomb of the saint."

Oct. 31st.—We started from Nisibeen at 7, and after crossing the Jaghjagha, the ancient Mygdonius, over a ruined bridge of eight arches, we reached the small village of Haj Oghloo, at 3 , where we put up for the night. We passed nine Coordish villages during our day's journey, in some of which are a few Jacobites and Yezeedees. At Haznaoor there are fifteen Jacobite families, without a priest or a church. Ten hours' ride from Haj Oghloo brought us to Babeel, and the day following we reached Jezeerah, about eighteen miles distant. The whole of the district from Nisibeen is under the jurisdiction of Bedr Khan Beg, the Emeer of Buhtân, generally known as the Emeer of Jezeerah, of whose cruelty we heard much from the persecuted Christians on the road, and whose barbarity to the Nestorians a few months after will be recorded in the succeeding narrative.

Jezeerah (literally "an island"), the ancient Be-Zabde, is situated in a deep valley on the western bank of the Tigris, the waters of which insulate the town during several months of the year, when the divided stream is crossed by two crazy bridges of boats. The place is in so dilapidated a condition, that the best