Prince Yuri Lubovedsky

Then I told him who I was and how this map had come into my possession and how I already knew of his existence. Gradually we entered into conversation. When the prince had become quite calm again, he proposed that we should return to his apartment in Cairo and quietly continue our conversation there.

From then on, owing to our common interests, a real bond was established between us; we met often, and our correspondence continued uninterruptedly for almost thirty-five years. During this period we travelled together many times, in India, Tibet and various parts of Central Asia.

 

We met the last time but one in Constantinople, where the prince had a house in Pera, which was not far from the Russian Embassy and where from time to time he stayed for rather long periods.
This meeting took place in the following circumstances:

I was returning from Mecca in the company of some Bukharian dervishes whose acquaintance I had made there, and of several Sart pilgrims who were going home. I wished to go to Tiflis via Constantinople, then to Alexandropol to see my family, and afterwards to go on with the dervishes to Bukhara. But all these plans were changed owing to my unexpected meeting with the prince.
On arriving at Constantinople I learned that our steamer would stay there for six or seven days.

For me this was most annoying news. To wait for a week, hanging about without anything to do was not the most agreeable of prospects. I therefore decided to make use of this time to visit a dervish acquaintance of mine in Broussa and incidentally see the famous Green Mosque. Going ashore at Galata, I decided to go first to the prince’s house and tidy myself up, and at the same time to see the prince’s amiable old Armenian housekeeper, Mariam Badji.

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