The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-24 00:00:00

BURNING OF A SERAGLIO.

(From the Levant Herald, August 12.)
A positive calamity has befallen Stamboul. The
old palace of Selim,of Muetepha, and of Mahmoud,
next to the principal mosques, the most unique and
characteristic feature on the south side of the
Golden Horn—has been levelled by the flames. The
disaster which has thus deprived the Turkish capital
of one of its most striking and historically interest-
ing monuments, happened on Monday forenoon,
when about seven o'cicck, the sudden bursting out
of a column of black smoke from the southern ex-
tremity of the building announced to nearly every
quarter of the city that the quaintly beautiful old
building, which had escaped the fiery vicissitudes
of a hundred years, had at length fallen a prey to
the common local fate. In less than ten minutes
from the first appearance of this fatal signal, the
crimson flames shot up from out the black spreading
mass, and, fanned by a strong north-west breeze,
spread rapidly over the building, which, being of
wood and dried already to a burning point by a
ten weeks' broiling sun, speedily ignited, wherever
a spark fell ; till, in little more than half a hour, the
whole pile was hopelessly and irretrievably in a
blaze. The fire-guns above Scutari vainly boomed
out their summons of rescue to both sides of the
Bosphorus; which was repeated equally to no pur-
pose by the signal-flags of the Galata and Seras-
keriat towers, from Tophaneh to Eyoub, and
thence round to the Seven Towers; before the first
of the scores of wretched engines which hurried from
every quarter of the capital to the scene of the cala-
mity could even reach the Point, the old palace was
far beyond salvation by any local means. Toe Grand
Vizier, who happened to be ac Dalma-baktche at the
time, was the first on the spot, having hurried across
in one of the palace caiques. He was speedily fol-
lowed by the whole of the other Ministers, nearly
all the general officers n garrison in the capital,
and about 3,000 troops. A couple of strong boats'
crews from H.M.S. Weser, lying off Tophaneh, also
hastened to the scene and lent excellent help in the
efforts made to overcome the flames. It was re-
marked that neither the large Russian steamers nor
those belonging to the Messageries Imperiales—
both lying close by—made any show of offering
similar assistance. Their aid, however, would have
availed but little. Favoured, as we have said, by the
wind and tinder-like dryness of every part of the
main and adjoining buildings, the fire defied all
efforts to check it. The usual remedy of pulling
down whole perches of building on either side of it
was in vain resorted to—the flames literally jumped
over each successive chasm thus made, and rolled
on in increased volume, enveloping and devouring
everything before them. Incredible as it may
read to those who know the distance, not
merely sparks but whole flakes of fire were
carried right over the brow of the hill which sepa-
rates the Point from St. Sophia, and falling in and
around the At-meidam, ignited more than one
house in the neighbourhood. The fire which spread
thus distantly was not long in reaching the beauti-
ful alleys of cypresses behind the palace, and as
these caught, one after another, the blazing current
was carried on in an almost unbroken wave to the
successive courts and buildings in the rear. In an
attempt to cut down these trees one of them fell
upon an unfortunate sergeant of infantry and killed
him on the spot. Happily this was, so far as we
have been able to ascertain, the only fatal accident
attending the disaster. Several small burns and
contusions are repurted, but only this one life was,
we are officially assured, lost on the occasion. Of
the many narrow escapes that of the Grand Vizier
was one of the closest. Accompanied by a dozen
or so of soldiers his highness had penetrated into
the centre of the building, where it was believed
some of the fair inmetes yet remained. Whilst
searching for these, the flames literally surrounded
the room in which Fuad Pasha and his companions
were, and it was only by escaping through a win-
dow which opened on the Marmora that his high-
ness end the men with him effected their retreat
but a few minutes before the roof of the room they
had left fall in. By 3p m. the work of destruction
was complete. The fire indeed still ragel at that
hour in the detached buildings in the rear 7.r.ci round
toward Yali Kiosk, but of the old palace on the Point
only the outer court walls and the chimney-stacks
remained. About an hour after the fire broke
out the Sultan himself proceeded to the scene, but
on the -urgent advice of his Ministers, his Majesty
remained only a short time in the dangerous neigh-
bourhood, returning to Doima-biktche, Nviienee the
progress of the confligration was nearly as visible
as from the perilous epot
The site of the old building thus destroyed is one
of the most historic Stauthonle In the earliest

STAMPED -.50

.
Byzantine days it was covered by the Acropolis of
the new eastern capital ; later by a palace of the
Empress Plaeidia ; later still, by another and
grander imperial residence reared by Justinian, on
the ruins of whi.lth other palaces were successively
built, till Mahoraer 11. erected that of which the
structure destroyed on Monday was the last of many
restorations. In this actual building took place the
assassinations of Sultans Shim 111. and Mustapha
IV., and from it issued the successire edicts which
crushed the Wahahees, annihilated the Janissaries,
and inaugurated the other acts of reforming
" vigour', which illustrated the reign of Mahrnoud.
On the completion of the new palace of Dolma-
'oaktche the late Sultan removed to the latter resi-
dence, and the old building sunk into a retreat for
the surviving (and unmarried off) members of his
father's harem. On the death of AbdulMedjid him-
self, the former inmates were cleared out, and the
ladies of his own late establishmentinstalled in their
stead.