The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-11-18
CONSTANTINOPLE.

I
raphy. As it may be relied on for its
correctness, it will be to many of our read
at this time, an interesting article.
Constantinople, the celebrated town oil
Constaatinople, the ancient Byzantium, and
called by the Turks Stamboul, city OF
Europe, and capital of the Turkish empire,
is situated on the west side of the Bospho-
rus, or straits Of Constantinople, between
the Black sea and the sea of Marmora.
Lon. %, Sc, E. Lat. Al, N.
The view round the town has been much
admired, its elevated position, the great
number of trees, houses, and minarets, the
majestic entrance of the Bosphorus, the
spacious harbor surrounded by the suburbs
of Galata, Pera, and St. Dmitri, the large
city of Scutari il front, the verdant hills
behind it,. the Propontis and it's picturesque
Islands, Mount Olympus on the back
ground, its snowy SUBMITS and the fruitful
fields of Asia and Europe on every side,
present a succession of the finest land :.
scapes. The stranger observes not with
out emotion the natural beauties IN the
neighborhood, and admires the excellent
position of a city that may be so quickly
supplied with provisions and so easily de-
tended IN the event Of a siege from its
safe and commodious harbor, it seems des-
tined by nature to reign over two seas
and two continents, but the first impression
is soon effaced by examining the interior.
Constantinople is ill built, the streets are
narrow, and no part of them is well paved :;
its irregular and pitiful houses are like
Turkish barracks or clay and wooden
cottages; coniagrations are of ordinary
occurrence, and the plague breaks out
every year. The mortal feelings of the
stranger are outraged, the naughty and SOL
emn air OF the Mussulman is contrasted with
the humble, timid and lowly mien of the
Jew; a foreigner, before he is aware of the
difference in the dress may discover from
mans appearance whether he is Mussul-
man or a Rayah. The Fanar, which forms
part of the town is inhabited by the
Wretched descendants of the Byzantine
families: these degraded men crouch under
the Mussulman's sword, assume the titles
of princes and cheaper the temporary
sovereignties of Wallachia and Moldavia
faithful representatives of the Low En-
pire, submissive to every power, to amass
wealth is the sole business of their lives,
by honest or dishonest means is to them
equally Indifferent.
The seraglio or the principal palace has
been considered great ornament to the
town. 1t must be confessed that the view
from the eide near the Bosphorus is roman
tic, but the building is confused mass of
prisons, barracks, and gardens. 1t forms a
separate city, the seat of Asiatic debauche-
ry and African slavery; honor, generosity,
compassion, the best feelings of our nature,
are banished from its walls.
One venerable monument of antiquity, the
church dedicated to divine wisdom by the
emperor Justinian in the sixth century, now
vulgarly called Saint Sophia, has Fortunate
ly been spared but it is certain that it must
have been demolished, had it not been con-
verted into a mosque its effect is imposing,
although the style of architecture is much
inferior to that which distinguishes the clas-
steal epoch. The ancient Hippodrome is
now a public walk the Cyclobion, or the
moderate castle of the seven towers, is but
a weak citadel in which the ambassadors of
the powers at war with the Porte are con-
fined. The most remarkable mosques are
those of the Sultan Achmet, and the Sultana
Valide, and another called the Solimami
such are the principal edifces. They are
seen to the greatest advantage when the
whole town is Illuminated; they might add,
perhaps, to the beauty of the landscape, but
when examined singly, they appear without
majesty and without grace. We are apt,
from their frall and clumsy appearance, to
connect them with the works of men in the
pastoral state.
The population of Constantinople is vari-
ously estimated from 100000 to 100000.
About one half are Turks, and the remain
der Greeks, Christians, Armenians, Franks,
and Jews.
Pera and Galata, two large suburbs, are
situated beyond the harbor of Constantine
pie, which is about 5000 yards in length,
and from 800 to 500 in breadth. PeIa is
built on a height; it is the residence of the
foreign ambassadors and the Europeans who
are not. permitted to remain at Constantine
pie; the great ware houses and granaries
are situated at Galata, which is near the
port and the custom-house it is surrounded
with bitches and walls fanked with bas-
tions. The inhabitants of these suburbs
consist chiefly of foreigners from all ma
tons their number is so great that Pera
and Galata have been compared to the tow
er of Babel; the languages spoken, are the
Turkish, Greek, Hebrew, Armenian, Ara
bian, Persian, Russian, Walachian, German,
French, Italian, and Hungarian. The de-
generate Greeks surpass all the strangers
in espionage and political intrigue.
A great many villages, almost concealed
by lofty trees, are scattered along the
shores of the Bosphorus: it is there that
Bechick Tddch, or the summer palace of
the Sultan, is situated. Belgrade appears
at distance behind it, and is inhabited, in
one season Of the year, by the most wealthy
Christian families in Pera and Galata it is
sheltered from excessive heat, the air is
pure and salubrious, an extensive planta-
ton of fruit trees, verdant meadows, and
limpid streams, adorn the immediate vicini-
ty. The town is not exposed to the plague
or the frequent fires that happen in the cap
ital. If the country were under better