The Mezar Osha Is Supposed To
Contain The Tomb Of Neby Osha, Or The Prophet Hosea, Equally Revered By
Turks And Christians, And To Whom The Followers Of Both Religions Are In
The Habit Of Offering Prayers And Sacrifices.
The latter consist
generally of a sheep, to be slain in honour of the saint, or of some
perfumes to be burnt over his tomb.
I was invited to partake of a sheep
presented by a suppliant, to whose prayers the saint had been
favourable. There was a large party, and we spent a very pleasant day
under a fine oak-tree just by the tomb. The wives and daughters of those
who were invited were present, and mixed freely in the conversation. The
tomb is covered by a vaulted building, one end of which serves as a
mosque; the tomb itself, in the form of a coffin, is thirty-six feet
long, three feet broad, and three feet and a half in height, being thus
constructed in conformity with the notion of the Turks, who suppose that
all our forefathers were giants, and especially the prophets before
Mohammed. The tomb of Noah in the valley of Coelo-Syria is still longer.
The coffin of Osha is covered with silk stuffs of different colours,
which have been presented to him as votive offerings. Visitors generally
throw a couple of paras upon the tomb. These are
[p.354] collected by the guardian, and pay the expenses of illuminating
the apartment during the summer months; for in the winter season hardly
any body seeks favours at the shrine of the saint.
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