The Nile boat or, glimpses of the land of Egypt / by . , after thetime of Saladin, was extended up to the citadel, so as toembrace the Kalat el Kebsh, or palace of Sultan Tooloon, nearthe ancient mosque already described. At present this gatestands in the most bustling and crowded part of the bazaar, atthe intersection of the main avenue with another principalstreet, and with the adjacent mosque, whose elegant minaretsrest upon it as a basement, and are among the most strikingornaments of this very picturesque portion of the city. Thegateway itself bears so remarkable a resemblance
The Nile boat or, glimpses of the land of Egypt / by . , after thetime of Saladin, was extended up to the citadel, so as toembrace the Kalat el Kebsh, or palace of Sultan Tooloon, nearthe ancient mosque already described. At present this gatestands in the most bustling and crowded part of the bazaar, atthe intersection of the main avenue with another principalstreet, and with the adjacent mosque, whose elegant minaretsrest upon it as a basement, and are among the most strikingornaments of this very picturesque portion of the city. Thegateway itself bears so remarkable a resemblance to the Gothicportals of castles and towns in our own country, especially atYork, that it might be supposed that the one had originated theother. Mr. Lane gives a curious account of a superstition con-nected with this gate, which is said to be one of the spots hauntedby the Kutb, or most holy of the Welees, or saints of such highsanctity, that although not disembodied, and of the humblestappearance and garb, they are invested with certain super- 68 BAB natural powers, though undiscernible save to some chosen few. One leaf of its great wooden door, which is never shut, turnedback against the eastern side of the interior of the gateway,conceals a small vacant space, which is said to be the place ofthe Kutb. Many persons, on passing by it, recite the Fathah,and some give alms to a beggar who is generally seated there,and who is regarded by the vulgar as one of the servants of theKutb. Numbers of persons afflicted with head-ache drive anail into the door, to charm away the pain, and many sufferersfrom the tooth-ache extract a tooth, and insert it in a creviceof the door, or fix it in some other way, to insure their notbeing attacked again by the same malady. Some curiousindividuals often try to peep behind the door, in the vain hopeof catching a glimpse of the Kutb, should he happen to be BAB E NUSTt AND BAB E lOOTOOR. 69 there, and not at the moment invisible. The turre
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectegyptdescriptionandt
