BITS ABOUT BAGDAD.

Patea Mail, Volume XL, 20 March 1916, Page 1

BITS ABOUT BAGDAD.

1 ENCHANTED CITY OF ARABIAN i NIGHTS.

Immortalised by Haroun-al-Raschid, in the story of the Arabian Nights, Bagdad, which has a population of about 130,000, was built on the ruins of an ancient Babylonian city dating back to 2000 B.C. Records have found on ancient bricks establishing its early date.

I Ever since the days of Harouri-al-Ras-chid the Jews have been the leading figures in the commercial world of Bagdad. There arc 50,000 of them, with about 8000 Chaldean or (heretical) Christians. The remainder of the population is made up of Persians, Turks, Armenians, Arabs and Kurds. iSiubad the, Sailor was born at Bagdad, and all his marvellous adventures begin by his going down the Tigris to Bussorah (the modern Basra), the way tlie British Expedition lias come up. Militarily, Bagdad is of no great importance, but the moral - impression which its fall will make on the Arab and Persian frontier tribes will be very gioat.

Of late years many European houses have settled agents in the city, and Britain, France and Russia have . Consuls there. Dates, wool, grain and timbao (a substitute for tobacco) are exported, and a number of horses arc sent to India.

The city stands -on both sides of the Tigris, the two parts being connected by the famous bridge of boats, 230 yards long. A brick wall, five miles in circumference and 40ft high, surrounds BagdadThe city contains upwards of 100 mosques, though barely twenty of them arc in use. The houses generally are old, dirty and ugly outside, but the vaulted ceilings, rich mouldings, inlaid mirrors and massive gildings bring back to the recollection of the traveller ‘-'the gcldeu prime of good Haroun-al-Ras-chid.”

The streets arc narrow, crooked, nupaved, and dirty, full of ruts and strewed with garbage, which, however, is for the most part removed by dogs, the public scavengers in the East, In IDO2 an irade from the Sultan gave powers to a Germany company to construct a railway from Konioh to Basra by Bagdad through the Euphrates valley. a total distance of 1550 miles.

A company was floated at Frankfort in 1003. with a- capital of £150.000, to construct the first section, and tills was completed and opened in 1004. Since then several other important sections have boon constructed.

Overheard at Martou Court. —Counsel to defendant: “And you say that you have only been able to obtain two weeks’ work since Christmas. How is that?’’ Witness: “I haven’t had time to look for it.”