articles for
their wedding. The dozen or more holidays that come during the year are
celebrated by this class in having big dinners, and the women cease
from the heavy burdens of their labor for the day and attempt to
beautify themselves after the fashion of women of the higher classes
with paint and finery. Their taste not being cultivated in that art
they often make themselves more hideous than beautiful.

CHAPTER VII.

THE MOSQUES AND THEIR SERVICES.

The mosque is the Mohammedan holy temple or church. There is one in
most every community which has been erected by lords or rich people. In
the cities they have some magnificent mosques built of stone and brick.
A mosque is divided into several small rooms and two large halls. One
hall is for winter service, the other for summer. The summer hall is in
the front end of the building, is enclosed with three walls, the front
being open. The pillars that guard the entrance to this hall are
adorned with artistic designs. The interior walls of the mosque are
painted white and on them are inscribed in large letters numerous
verses from the Koran. The floors of the halls are not covered with
carpets or rugs, as they would be stolen; but there are cheap mats made
of reeds on the floor. There are no chairs but the worshipers sit on
the floor.

It is believed that any man who builds a mosque has remission of his
sins. It gives him great reputation and he is known as a holy and
religious man. There are some very old mosques, a few having stood as
long as 900 years. In some instances Christian churches have been
converted into mosques in times of persecution. In the city of Oroomiah
one very fine church was converted into a mosque about 600 years ago.
It is a very large building with a high steeple and stands in the heart
of the city, surrounded by fine grounds of about three acres. The
grounds are surrounded by high wall, inside of which are rows of small
buildings divided into rooms and used by students. These were
originally used by the Christians as a kind of a university. Even
to-day the door facing the east which Christians entered to worship
Jesus remains. When the Mohammedans took possession of the building a
new door was made on the south side facing the holy city of Mecca.
Mosques are regarded as holy and no animal is allowed to step in,
especially dogs. If a Mohammedan knew that dogs sometimes enter
Christian churches they would despise Christians the more. J