_ 62 _ In this island is one of the most populous cities in the world, which has been much damaged by the Portuguese. It is the capital of the kingdom and the king lives in it, that Reis Sharif who was a captive at Montemor in Portugal. The country is one of the richest in the world, and people of all nations of the world live there: Moors, who have a rich mosque; heathens and Jews who have been here since the second captivity of Babylon and are settled here, Moors and Turks, and all live as they please. We have four feast-days every week: the heathen on Monday, the Moors on Friday, the Jews on Saturday and the Christians on Sunday it seems as though every day were a feast-day; praise the Lord, the shouting from the minarets causes me much trouble at night. In this city there are ambassadors from many parts who come here on account of the port. Everyone takes provision of medicines, from Arabia Felix and Deserta, on the Red Sea side. The country is close to Babylon, which is now called Baghdad, which the Grand Turk has taken from the Grand Sultan of Babylon, known as the great Shah Tahmasp, with whom we are at peace. He always goes about the country like Bedouin do, and they fight with arrows, very fiercely, especially the
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