Syria and Asia Minor (The modern traveller)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824 edition. Excerpt: ...already very large, was prodigiously augmented by accessions of Greeks from Mytelene, the Morea, and several isles of the Archipelago. In 1820, there were computed to be more than 3,000 houses, built with stone, and terrace-roofed, from two to three stories high. But all these houses were placed without any order, and rendered the streets narrow and winding. Almost all the streets were paved, but dirty: some are of a tolerable width, with a foot-way on each side, and a brook in the middle, which was crossed in winter, when swelled by the rains, by means of flying bridges. It was there that all the filth of the houses met, and into this flowed the stinking waters of the oil-mills and the soap-manufactories: these brooks were altogether offensive and noxious. They reckoned at Aivali nearly 32,000 settled inhabitants, and 7 or 8,000 strangers resident or passing. The Greek religion was exclusively professed. There was not a single Turk, Armenian, or Jew. The town was under the jurisdiction of the archbishop of Ephesus; and there was a handsome archiepiscopal palace, in which his bishop resided. It contained a great number of Greek churches: the ten principal were, especially, very handsome and well kept up. That of Ayioa Yoryhis (Saint George) was the cathedral. "The government of ATvali might be compared to that of a little republic, governed by its own laws, under the protection of the Porte. The sultan had there a collector of customs, a cadi, and an aga; but this last resided there for form's sake only: the Greek community procured his nomination and dismissal as they pleased. As to the former two, the choice of the chief men of the town determined that of the Porte. A'ivali was held directly of the pasha of Brusa, but he exercised no...