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THE TASH KHAN 41
narrow street, having white buildings on one side
^^ith upper stories overhanging, and windows screened
by wrought-iron scroll-w^ork. In the breadth of cool
shadow thrown by the wall are more oriental figures
but these are seated on low stools, and are careful to
keep themselves just clear of the fierce white light
which runs beside them ; so the shadow is full of
figures, and the sunlight falls on vacant street. For
here is a sort of open-air cafe, where indolent men
linger away the day with coffee and gossip and cigarettes,
heedless of the industrious clanging of smiths'
hammers, beating out vessels in the copper bazaar not
far away.
Another of these glimpses is of the old Hammam,
or Turkish bath. It is built of red-brown, weatherstained
stones carefully squared, and is low, massive,
and arched, and has a peep of flat dome showing for
roof; and before the door is a small open court, filled
with the pale green light of sheltering vines upon an
overhead trellis.
The Tash Klian — merely the Stone Khan, as a
sufficiently notable name— is another building of the
same period and style and I'ed-brown stone. It is
built round an inner quadrangle, and has two stories
of heavy pointed arches forming open arcades to the
courtyard. Four ponderous, windowless, external walls
enclose all. Nearly a hundred merchants have their
booths and shops in the arcades within this building,
glad to be behind massive walls pierced by only
a single doorway. And the door is a thing that by
itself tells much ; it is incredibly heavy and strong,
and banded and clamped with iron — once closed
nothing short of explosives would force it open.
Building- and door belong- to a time when brawl and
riot and raid were more frequent even than now
when merchants required the security of a fortress
for their goods, and were willing to pay rents that
made the building of such places a profitable venture.
And they like such places still ; for you hear that
stalls in this hhaii are always in demand, and the