. The cradle of mankind; life in eastern Kurdistan . erprofane person who should presume to enter this theirsanctuary. Such is the story told to us by the Patriarch of theNestorian Church ; a gentleman who is sufficiently educatedto smile at the superstitions of his fathers—at least duringthe day, and in European company. And anyone whowill take magnesium wire and penetrate into the cavern,will certainly gain much local kudos, and may possibly havean interesting experience. Will you come with us, your Grace, and see what isreally in the cave ? we asked of the Patriarch when he hadfinished his
. The cradle of mankind; life in eastern Kurdistan . erprofane person who should presume to enter this theirsanctuary. Such is the story told to us by the Patriarch of theNestorian Church ; a gentleman who is sufficiently educatedto smile at the superstitions of his fathers—at least duringthe day, and in European company. And anyone whowill take magnesium wire and penetrate into the cavern,will certainly gain much local kudos, and may possibly havean interesting experience. Will you come with us, your Grace, and see what isreally in the cave ? we asked of the Patriarch when he hadfinished his story. THE CHURCH OF MAR RTSHU 185 I will Rabbi—that is if you will go in first; replied hisBeatitude.* Two roads lead from Diza of Gawar (the name Diza is acommon one) down to the plain of Urmi ; but we took themore difficult and picturesque, leading down the valleyof Mar BTshu. This is one of the most famous of theshrines of the Nestorian Church, commemorating a hermit I. ALTAR « • OOflPELfi4. FONT £Tff8U DBote p. SUmmER CHURCH CHURCH OFfllflRBiaHU round whose cell a monastery subsequently monastery has passed away, but a group of threeChristian villages fill the valley (a small side gorge just oH * There is some real danger in exploring these caverns, for if you do notoften find real Jann, you are always liable to stumble on a wolf! We were once exploring a cave-monastery, near Maragha ; onefeature of which was a long passage, burrowing into the rock, and expand-ing at intervals into cells, like balls threaded on a string Down this we crawled, with an antiquarians eagerness, our guidepohtely allowing us to go first. Wlien we were well in, a voice came frombehind us : Rabbi, theres a wolf who generally lives down here, but Idont know if hes in nov/ ! i86 THE DEBATABLE LAND the main road); and here the church still stands, an unusuallyelaborate specimen of Ncstorian architecture. Externally it is like all the mountain churches, a
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