. Travels and politics in the Near East. ins. As you stand on the summitof one of these hills you see the Balkans and the range ofRhodope bounding the horizon to north and south, andthe city spread out before you like a map—the muddyMarica surging on its turbid course, the shining cupolasof the Greek and Bulgarian churches, and here andthere the slim and graceful minaret of a mosque, forthere are still a good number of Mussulmans here,although many have emigrated since the union of thetwo Bulgarias, in spite of the efforts of the BulgarianGovernment to induce them to stay^ But here, theMussulm
. Travels and politics in the Near East. ins. As you stand on the summitof one of these hills you see the Balkans and the range ofRhodope bounding the horizon to north and south, andthe city spread out before you like a map—the muddyMarica surging on its turbid course, the shining cupolasof the Greek and Bulgarian churches, and here andthere the slim and graceful minaret of a mosque, forthere are still a good number of Mussulmans here,although many have emigrated since the union of thetwo Bulgarias, in spite of the efforts of the BulgarianGovernment to induce them to stay^ But here, theMussulmans prefer even the inferior administration ofTurkey to life under the rule of their old rayalis. Someyears ago in Philippopolis the accidental inroad of astray pig into a mosque caused the total disuse of thebuilding for an immense period, and in a country whereswine are so plentiful what may not happen to shock thefeelings of the devout follower of the Prophet ? But themost curious feature of religious life here is the existence 437. Travels and Politics in the Near East of a large community of Bulgarian Catholics, whoinhabit a special quarter of the town, and are the descen-dants of those Paulicians or Bogomiles who played sucha great part in the mediaeval history of the Balkan lands,and have left their mark all over the Peninsula. No one can visit Philippopolis, with its three largepublic gardens—one the site of the Exhibition held heresome time ago—its clean streets, its tine museum andlibrary, and its general air of prosperity, without recog-nising that it has benefited greatly since the Turkish rulewas ended here. It is said, indeed, by some well-informedpersons, that Eastern Roumelia and its capital were insome material respects best off under the system of auto-nomy inaugurated by the Berlin Treaty of 1878, and whichlasted down to the union in 1885. The South Bulgarianscomplain that they have now to contribute more moneyfor military purposes, while in those days
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecteasternquestionbalka
