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EOAD INTO ALEPPO 415
like that of Azaz, though much greater, but when its
tainty from a rich soil and has ever been a granary.
Little wonder that East and West, North and South,
Christian and Moslem have struggled throughout long
centuries to possess these valuable corn-lands, which,
if looked at rightly, are only a part of greater : they
are, indeed, the western fringe of Mesopotamia, that
region of promise under any enlightened and enterprising
government.
A dim blue cubical mass rose above the skyline of
wheat during early afternoon, and seemed to be a rock
details became more clear I saw that it was a building.
Then I knew it must be the citadel of Aleppo, and
that at last I was in sight of the city which had
drawn me hither. For I had theories about Aleppo
I had long suspected it of being the true heart of the
East, and later, that its example and influence had
coloured all the southern region of Asia Minor. It
had also known long associations with my own
country, and from it had been drawn—so at least
my theory ran—our popular English conception of
the Mediterranean East. These matters I would look
into for myself, and now was about to do so. Therefore
I saw the citadel from afar as worthy emblem of
an alluring and glamorous city, and on this hot afternoon
came down into Aleppo as to no strange place,
but one already made familiar by imagination.
I came at last down a road of winding gentle
descent and saw the roofs and minarets and mighty
citadel standing clear before me against the sky. It
was disturbing then to cross a railway line by a
level crossing and hear the incongruous puffing of
engines, but this I knew was the Azizieh quarter,
where Europeans have their homes, and by no means
to be confounded with the Eastern city. More to
my liking was a great busy street that went onwards
towards the heart and mysteries of the city brooded
over by the citadel. But here I turned aside and
found in Azizieh a small hotel, European enough to
be comfortable and clean, and yet with a flavour of