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UTUEE RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION 431
Aleppo suited these requirements well and flourished
in proportion ; Antioch did not, and consequently
failed.
still
Although geographically a Syrian city, Aleppo is
more a city of Asia Minor by the districts which
it serves. Figuratively and literally, all roads in
these central regions of the Ottoman Empire lead to
Aleppo. The city is likely, indeed, to enjoy greater
prosperity in the coming era of railways than ever
it did in days when caravans by the hundred, crowding
its gates, came and went daily between Antioch,
Damascus, and Bagdad, and the mountain passes
of the west and north and north-west which gave
access to Asia Minor and Europe. For Aleppo now
attracts railways as of old it did roads and caravan
tracks—its position being at the corner, so to speak,
round which railways like roads perforce must come.
It will become the junction of intercontinental railroads,
and Aleppo railway porters of the future will
grow familiar with the names of places exceedingly
far off. " Change here for Mecca, Cairo, and Bagdad,"
is said to be a cry which has been heard already at
Muslimie — Aleppo's Bagdad Railway Station—but
that is nothing to what the not very distant future
may hold. Here in fulness of time you will change
not only for these cities of ancient name, but for
Central and Southern Africa, Persia, Bombay, Calcutta
; and later, by the aid of a short sea-passage,
for Singapore, Port Darwin, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Such developments Aleppo may see within the years
of some now living — such importance is given by
geographical accident to this piece of territory lying
round the Gulf of Alexandretta.