verdure, not yet parched up by the sun. On the left may be
distinguished the house of Murad bey, of whom we shall have
occasion to speak hereafter.
There are in Cairo several magnificent mosques, which, though
they do not possess the elegance of grecian architecture, are no
unimportant ornaments to a city so little embellished. Sultan
Hassen’s, built at the foot of the castle hill, is very lofty, of an
oblong square figure, crowned with a cornice all round, that projects
a great way, and is adorned with a particular sort of grotesque
carvings after the turkish manner. The entrance into it is very
finely inlaid with several sorts of marble, and carved in a similar
manner at top. Several steps formed the ascent to it; but these
have been broken down, and the door walled up, because the
rebels often took shelter there in times of insurrection. What has
given particular celebrity to the mosque of Four Hundred Pillars
is sufficiently marked by it’s name. But the views given of different
mosques in this work will convey a more adequate idea of
their style, than any description.
The castle of Cairo stands on a rocky hill, which seems to have
been separated by art from the neighbouring mountain, Jibbel
Duue-, and which is called Jibbel Mocattem, or the Cut Mountain,
more probably on this account, than because there is a way
up to the castle cut in the rock. I t resembles a small town
walled all round, but is so commanded by the hill to the east,
that it would be little capable of defence since the invention of
cannon, were it kept in much better repair than it is. At the
west of the castle are remains of very grand apartments; some of