Tabaria, with its district of ten or twelve villages, forms a part of
the Pashalik of Akka. Being considered one of the principal points of
defence of the Pashalik, a garrison of two or three hundred
[p.322] men is constantly kept here, the greater part of whom are
married, and settled. During the reign of Djezzar a colony of two
hundred Afghan soldiers were persuaded by the Pasha to establish
themselves at Tabaria; many of them were natives of Kashmir: and among
others their Aga, who was sent for expressly by Djezzar. After the
Pasha’s death they dispersed over Syria, but I found two Kashmirines
still remaining, who gave me the history of their colony in broken
Arabic.
The Christian church is dedicated to St. Peter, and is said to have been
founded on the spot where St. Peter threw his net. It belongs to the
community of Terra Santa and is visited annually on St. Peter’s day by
the Frank missionaries of Nazaret, who celebrate mass in it on this
occasion. In the street, not far from the church, is a large stone,
formerly the architrave of some building; upon which are sculptured in
bas-relief two lions seizing two sheep.
There are about four thousand inhabitants in Tabaria, one-fourth of whom
are Jews. The Christian community consists only of a few families, but
they enjoy great liberty, and are on a footing of equality with the
Turks. The difference of treatment which the Christians experience from
the Turks in different parts of Syria is very remarkable. In some places
a Christian would be deprived of his last farthing, if not of his life,
were he to curse the Mohammedan religion when quarrelling with a Turk;
while in others but a few hours distant, he retorts with impunity upon
the Mohammedan, every invective which he may utter against the Christian
religion. At Szaffad, where is a small Christian community, the Turks
are extremely intolerant; at Tiberias, on the contrary, I have seen
Christians beating Turks in the public Bazar. This difference seems
chiefly to depend upon the character of the local
[p.323] government. That of Soleiman Pasha of Akka, the successor of
Djezzar, is distinguished for its religious tolerance; while Damascus
still continues to be the seat of fanatism, and will remain so as long
as there are no Frank establishments or European agents in that city.
A Bazar has lately been built at Tabaria, in which I counted about a
dozen retail shops. The traffic of the inhabitants is principally with
the Bedouins of the Ghor, and of the district of Szaffad. The
shopkeepers repair every Monday to the Khan at the foot of Mount Tabor,
where a market, called Souk el Khan (Arabic) is held, and where the
merchandize of the town is bartered chiefly for cattle.
