Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/867

* DAMASCUS. 751 DAMASKEENIITG. the Baptist, and was named the Clnirch of Saint John. The site of the chuicli was later acquired by the sixth Ommiad t'aliph, who erected on it a mosque of fabulous splendor, according to the description of the Araliic writers. After the conquest of Damascus by Timur the mosque was despoiled. It covers a site of 143 X 41 Vi 3'ards, and has the shape of a basilica divided by columns 23 feet high, ornamented, as also are the walls, with inscrip- tions from the Koran. The architecture belongs to difl'ereut periods; only a small portion of the original structure has survived. The dome, 120 feet high, is flanked by three minarets, one 250 feet high. Other noteworthy mosques are the Sinaniyeh with its striking gi'een-tiled minaret, and the Tekklyeh, with its graceful minarets and dome, founded in 1510 on the river bank to the west of the city as a refuge for indigent pilgrims. There are also numerous beautifully ornamented chapels. The Chapel of Abraham in the northern suburb of Burzch, the leper hospital in the house of Naaman, the house of Ananias, the place of Saint Paul's conversion near the east gate, and the point where he was lowered from the walls are traditionally sanctified localities. The Eng- lish cemetery on the southeast contains the grave of Buckle the historian, who died here in 1SG2. Damascus was once a famous seat of learning, and contained numerous schools in which gram- mar, theology, and jurisprudence were taught. The higher schools, with a few exceptions, are now closed, and Damascus as a centre of culture has been surpassed by Cairo. Elementary education is provided to some extent by the missionary schools, and a number of higher schools are con- ducted by the Frencli orders. The municipal affairs are administered by a eoimcil in which Christians as well as Jewish residents are represented. Damascus is the seat of the A'ali or Governor of Syria, and of the conunander of the Syrian troops. The chief manufactures consist of silver and gold articles, stufl's interwoven with silver and gold threads, and inlaid furniture. The manufacture of the blades for which Damascus was famous has ceased. The eonnnercial importance of the city rests chiefly on the transit trade, which, however, has considerably declined since the construction of the Suez Canal. The bazaars of Damascus are numerous and well kept, but they are generally poorly stocked, and the magnificent limns formerly thronged by merchants are now but indifi"erently attended. The exports consist chiefly of wool. hemp, grain, and animal prod- ucts, grapes, and dried fruit. Damascus is con- nected by rail with its port, Beirut, and a rail- way line" extends southward to El Muzerib, in the Hauram. It is visited monthly by caravans from Aleppo. The population is estimated at 154.000, and is very heterogeneous in its composition. About three-quarters is ^Mohammedan, while the rest consists of Christians belonging to diff'erent churches. The Jews number about 8000. The United States is represented by a consular agent. The foundation of Damascus is attributed by Josephus to Uz, the son of Aram. The city w-as the seat of a kingdom at the time of the Hebrew monarchy. Subjugated by David, it soon regained its independence and even recovered sufficiently to attack the Kingdom of Israel, weakened by internal strife. In the second half of the eighth century B.C. Damascus was conquered by Assyria and its people carried away to the land of the conquerors and replaced by colonies from Assyria. After the death of Alexander the Grtat, Damascus became part of the Kingdom of the Scleucida". Conquered by I'ompey in n.c. (i4, it became a dependency of Kome, under which it enjoyed local autonomy and regained a part of its former prus|)erity. It was during tliis period that Christianity was intro- duced into Damascus, and the city became tlie seat of a bishopric, in 035 it was" taken by the Mohammedans, under whose rule it was for a time (previous to the founding of Bagdad) the residence of the Caliphs and was gieatly adorned and fortified. After an isueecssful siege by the Crusaders under Baldwin in 1148, Damascus was taken by Nureddin in 1154, and, at the death of the latter, passed into the hands of Saladin, who died there in 1193. The victory of Tamer- lane over the Egyptians at Damascus in 1401 placed the city in the hands of the Mongol conqueror, who after exacting a large tribute from its residents slaughtered most of them and pillaged and burned the cit.y. It was soon re- built, and in 1510 wrested from Egj'pt by the Turks under Selim I. Retaken by the Egyptians under Ibrahim Pasha in 1832, Damascus re- mained under the rule of Egj'pt until 1841, when, together with Syria, it was restored to Turkey. An uprising of the Moslem population in 1860 resulted in the destruction of the Christian quarter, and the massacre of about 6000 Chris- tians. Consult: Foiter, Five Years ill Damascus {London, 1870) : Macintosh, Damascus and Its People (London, 1882). DAMASCUS BLADE. See Damaskeening. DAM'ASK. The name given to certain tex- tile fabrics in which figures are woven. The ornamental forms and the ground are usually of the same texture and color, but are distinguished from each other by being woven in opposite directions, the opposing threads causing the characteristic glittering contrast. The name is supposed to have been derived from the city of Damascus, where these fabrics were early manu- factured. From the intricacy of the early proc- ess, the art of damask-weaving was long a mys- tery confined to a few localities: but since the in- troduction of the .Jacquard loom (see Loom) it is extensively employed in making ornamental satins, and particularly in the manufacture of table-linen. One variety of damask silk is called hrocatelle. In this weave the principal orna- mental figure is of a satin sheen, but a plainer weave is combined with it. The term brocatelle is also applied to a heavy and coarse brocaded or figured fabric in which wool or cotton is mixed with the silk, and which is largely em- ployed for tapestry and upholstery. Lampas is woven like brocatelle, but the ground and figure are of different colors. Diaper is damask with I lie pattern arranged in geometrical figures, usually squares, with no ground pattern. Bro- cades are the most elaborate damasks, and often gold thread is interwoven with the silk. They are sometimes distinguished from ordinars- silk damask by having the pattern raised slightly above the ground. For a more detailed descrip- tion of silk damasks, consult Cole, Ornament in European .S'i7A- (London. 1899). DAM'ASKEEN'ING, or DAM'ASCEN'- ING. The art of producing upon ordinary steel