Spirits of New Orleans. Kala Ambrose
occurred nearby. I plan to check it out again on my next visit.
If I haven’t made this clear already, a visit to Café du Monde is a must-do for too many reasons to mention. Visit at sunrise for breakfast to see the city as it shines in the morning, visit again in the evening to see how it relaxes at night, and visit again at noon to take in all the lively action!
The shops around Pirates Alley still hold valuable treasures, including the works of great literary figures such as Nobel Laureate William Faulkner. The Faulkner House is located on 624 Pirates Alley and is a national landmark. Faulkner lived here in true New Orleans style, enjoying the music, the food, and the cocktails, and reportedly fell in love on the balcony here on the home. He also wrote here, and his books can be found on the ground floor at Faulkner House Books.
Weather can play havoc in the area when looking to use photography for paranormal investigations. I’ve been at Pirates Alley when it’s a beautiful clear sunny day only to see it enveloped in fog only a few hours later that night.
CHAPTER 4
Ghostly Harem Dancing for the Sultan at the Gardette–LePrete House
“Tis now the very witching time of night,/ when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out/contagion to this world.”
—William Shakespeare, Hamlet
ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING and defining aspects of New Orleans is how cosmopolitan the city has always been. Since its inception, the city has attracted settlers, businesspeople, and travelers from all parts of Europe, the Caribbean islands, and the Far East. This leads us to the legendary tale of one dark and stormy night around the year 1878, when a mysterious ship arrived in the port of New Orleans under the cover of darkness.
When the storm passed that evening, those who ventured out onto the streets were treated to a strange and highly unusual sight, which is saying something profound given what all can be viewed on a daily basis in New Orleans. On this night, a Middle Eastern sultan, whom some said was a prince, disembarked from his vessel, which was laden with trunks, furniture, tapestries, carpets, and an entourage of guards who carried swords and pistols. Completely surrounded by guards as they walked down the street was the sultan’s harem, described as bejeweled and veiled women wearing luxurious silk clothing in vibrant colors.
The sultan prince had made arrangements to live at one of the grandest homes in New Orleans, which was known as the Gardette–LePrete House. Located at 716 Dauphine Street on the corner of Orleans Avenue, the four-story home was considered palatial by the standards of this time in New Orleans, featuring extensive and ornate ironwork on the balcony railings and a ballroom with a view on the top floor.
Originally built by Dr. Joseph Coulon Gardette, it was later sold to Jean Baptiste Le Prete, who owned the home along with a large plantation outside of the city in Plaquemines Parish. Reportedly Le Prete used the home in New Orleans only when the family came in for what was described as the social season, when they hosted elaborate parties and attended Creole functions in the French Quarter. When Le Prete learned through an associate that a sultan was interested in renting his home during the off-season, he reportedly jumped at the chance to rent out the home, as his personal finances were not the best at this time, and he welcomed the extra income. Little did he realize what would happen next and that he would soon shudder and be forever repulsed at the thought of ever returning to his home again.
Upon their arrival in New Orleans, the sultan and his people busied themselves settling into the home, rolling out their exotic and beautiful carpets, unpacking furniture, and shopping for luxurious goods from the local stores. The women could be seen passing by the expansive windows of the home and at times standing along the iron balconies to enjoy the sunlight and fresh air. The interested residents of New Orleans often strolled by the home, hoping to catch a glimpse of the harem women. Many members of the French Creole society entertained ideas of soon receiving invitations by the sultan prince to attend a ball or other formal function at his home as he introduced himself to New Orleans society.
It soon became apparent that social invitations would not be forthcoming. To the surprise of many, the windows were shuttered and the guards, who had completed their tasks of unloading trunks and furniture, now turned their attention to securing all points of entry to the home, stationing themselves outside the main door and gate to patrol the area day and night. The guards were described as menacing in their appearance, and they carried swords and knives at all times. Gossip began to circulate that the sultan had escaped from the country he called home with great treasures and a harem that belonged to another prince. The rumors spread that it was his brother who was the sultan prince and that he had betrayed his brother, stolen his wealth and his harem, and escaped the country. He was on the run, they said, and felt that the New World, specifically New Orleans, would be the best place to hide out and lay low for a while until he determined his next move.
Entrance to the Gardette–LePrete House
Locals were now even more intrigued by the rumors and gossip regarding the sultan. They walked by the property day and night, longing to get a peek into the windows when the guards weren’t looking to see what was transpiring inside. Fanciful stories about the beautiful harem women grew each night, as sounds of music and laughter carried through the starlight nights into the streets. Locals reported seeing the women wearing small coins in belts on their hips that tinkled as they danced for the sultan. Each story grew more lavish, including stories about silks lining the walls in every room, and the women became more beautiful and charming with each new description. Many continued to hope that when the sultan felt safe and comfortable in his new surroundings, he would venture into the city with his harem and invite guests into his home to experience the exotic food, drink, and dancing.
This elaborate party, however, did not come to pass. One night, under a dark moon said to be very similar to the evening when the sultan’s ship first arrived in port, a deep fog rolled into New Orleans, and a strange ship that could not be easily identified was seen offshore. The ship appeared to drop anchor in the sea, and it was assumed that it would not venture closer until the fog lifted and visibility was clear, so that it could carefully enter the port without the threat of damage to the ship or the docks.
Under these stormy skies in the French Quarter during the wee hours of the morning, a group of men left a local bar and took their nightly stroll by the sultan’s palace. They were hoping that under the cover of the dense fog, they might slip past the guards and peer through one of the windows to glimpse the women dancing in their exotic veils. To their surprise, as the sunrise began to spread the first rays of light over the city, the highly patrolled front gate was unguarded, and the men were greeted by the cold chill of silence. It was eerily quiet without the usual sounds of music and laughter pouring from the windows, and no guards were in sight. Some of the men crept closer to peek through the gates, and as they drew near, they saw pools of blood on the ground. Alarmed, they called the authorities to the scene. The police attempted to rouse the guards. When no one appeared, they entered the property.
According to the legendary story, what they found next was bloodshed and gruesome mayhem in every corner. The sultan’s guards had all been brutally sexually molested and then murdered. It appeared that their own swords had been used to not only kill them, but also to chop off their body parts bit by bit, as their arms, legs, and heads had all been severed in the bloodbath. Moving deeper through the home and into the courtyard area, the police found the sultan, who had been brutally tortured and wounded in such a vile manner that most of the officers on duty would not fully describe the depth of the injuries and wounds, but indicated that he had been tortured beyond the extreme with no mercy. They reported that he had been kept from death at first, in order to be buried alive in the most torturous manner, so that his last moments of life were sheer agony between the pain of his wounds and suffocating to death. The police were soon to find the worst scene of all when they discovered the women, who had been raped and brutally murdered next to their children. Blood splatters covered the courtyard and the balconies, and pools of blood covered the floors throughout the home. The destruction was so severe that it was said that the coroner