The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-20 00:00:00

CONSTANTINOPLE.

Constantinople has universally been considered
one of the most remarkable, and, in point of
situation, security of its port, and other natural
advantages, ranks as one of the finest cities in
Europe ; placed upon a strait dividing Europe
from Asia, it commands on the South, by its
communication with the Mediterranean, unin-
terrupted access to all the nations of Europe and
the coast of Africa; whilst, on the North, by the
Black Sea, to the Danube and other great rivers,
it has access to the interior of Germany, Poland,
and Russia. The Turks also possess the navi-
gation of the Red Sea, by which the whole of
the riches of the East might be obtained ; yet,
with these advantages, superior to those enjoyed
by any other country in the world, commerce is
totally neglected—the arts and sciences languish,
and even the internal trade is very inconsiderable.
The first city erected on this desirable situation
was called Byzantium, from Byzas, the leader of
a Colony of Megara, and the founder, 658 years
before the Christian era. This city existed until
the time of the Emperor Severus, who destroyed
it, and dispersed the inhabitants. Constantine
the Great, considering the situation more favour-
able than that of Rome, rebuilt it in 330, with
great magnificence, which is supposed to have
been one principal cause of the decline of the
Western Empire. The ancient splendour of
Constantinople, as it was then called, is spoken
of with astonishment by writers of the middle
ages ; after remaining the capital of the Eastern
Empire for one hundred years, it fell by con-
quest into the hands of the Turks in 1458, who
have retained possession until the present time.
The city stands at the eastern extremity of Ro-
mania, on a neck of land that advances towards
Natolia ; on the south it is washed by the sea of
Marmora, and on the north-east by the Gulf of
the Golden Horn. It is built, like ancient
Rome, on seven hills, rising one above the other
in beautiful succession, and sloping gently to-
wards the water; the whole forming an irregular
triangle about twelve miles in circumference, the
entire of which space is closely covered with
palaces, mosques, baths, fountains, and houses ;
at a short distance the proudly swelling domes
of three hundred mosques, the tall and elegant
minarets crowned by glittering crescents, the an-
cient towers on the walls, and the gaudily co-
loured kiosks and houses rising above the stu-
pendous trees in the Seraglio, situated on the
extreme point, form a rich, picturesque, and ex-
traordinary scene. The Gulf of the Golden
Horn, to the north-east of the city, forms a noble
and capacious harbour, four miles in length by
half a mile in breadth, capable of securely con-
taining twelve hundred ships of the largest size,
and is generally filled with the curiously built
vessels and gaudily decorated boats of the Turks ;
on the opposite shore is the maritime town of
Galata, containing the docks, arsenals, cannon-
foundries, barracks, &c.; above which stands the
populous suburb of Pera, the residence of the
Foreign Ministers to the Porte, and all foreigners
of distinction, none whatever being allowed to
reside in the city. Beyond, as far as the eye
can reach, is an immense forest of cypress and
mulberry trees, being the extensive cemeteries of
all persuasions. From Galata the European
shore of the Bosphorus forms one continued
line of towns ; palaces in every style of architec-
ture, pleasure gardens, and romantic villages.
On the opposite or Asiatic shore stands the ex•
tensive town of Scutari, also a suburb of Con-
stantinople, although in another quarter of the
globe, and separated by a sea a mile in breadth ;
and at a short distance the ancient and ruinous
city of Calcedone, whose inhabitants were ac-
counted blind for erecting their city in that place,
having the more favourable site of Constanti-
nople before their eyes. At some distance the
group of the Princes Island, in the Sea of Mar-
moral and the 6110 Y-dad summit of Mount