Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1849-11-24
NSTANTINOPLE.


to strangers, and by aid of firman, pur-
chased at high price from the govern
ment, have visited, with small party
of French and English, this far-famed pal.
ace Crossing The Golden Horn from
the Suburb Tophane, we landed at the
Gmdner's gate, one of the twenty eighth
entra ices of ,Stamboul, and few mn-
utcs walk brought us to the Sublime
Porte, the spacious unornamented arch
way from which the Ottoman Empire
first derived its name. Escorted bv a
couple of very consequential State consta-
bles, We passed through intb the outer
court of the Seraglio, large plain garea
surrounded by buildings formerly used
as infrmaries for the sick and as lodges
for the menials of the palace. From this
we proceeded to the inner court, which
was laid out in verdant grass plots and
intersected with paved footways. A
round were arcades leading into various
Offices and kitchens, and at the extremity
was the justice hall, where the Grand
DiYm formerly held its sittings. Enter
ing narrow vestbule the gentlemen of
the party were made to exchange their
boots for slippers, and We were ushered
INTO that confused mass of building so
long the residence of the Ottoman Sultans
We were conducted through all the audi
cncc halls and saloons of the palace, and
the baths and private apartments of the
Harcm. Though many of the rooms
were rich enough in appearance, they
presented little of that extraordinary
splcndor with which travellers have been
accustomed to invest the unknown interi-
or Of the Seraglio. The walls and cell
ings generally were wainscoted and gilt,
in the Moorish style, and the floors were
covered with elegaut palm leaf mating.
The furniture was far less sumptuous
than that | have seen in other places, and
there were no statues or paintings. AL
most the only works of art were few
French engravings representing the bat
tie scenes of Napoleon, and certain tablets
inlaid with gold and porcelain, and d.
versified with ilowers, miniature land
scapcs, and Inscriptions from the Koran.
The window latticed halls of the Harcm,
and the sky lighted chambers where the
Father all the Sovereigns of the Earth
used to GO to sport with his women and
mutes, displayed no ornament. The
throne of his Serene IIighness was quite
an ordinary affair, and in interest was ia,
out matched by the twenty golden and
magnificently jewcllcd State keys of the
Sublime Porte. The gardens around the
palace abound in many Oriental plants
and flowers, but are much exceeded ir
beauty by many private grounds in Eng.
land. In short, the Turkish Seraglio has
been indebted for its fame more, to the
unequalled superbncss of its natural stu
alton, and the jealousy with which its
precincts have been guarded, than to
anything actually done for it by human
taste and skill, The present Sultan has
never made it his residence, preferrine
one of the new palaces on the Bosphorus
to place associated with so many private
intrigues and public iniquities.
The same frman, aided by a goodly
supply of 6uch-$heesh, admitted us into
Santa Sophia, the great boast of the ems.
tern capital. Entering small side door
we descended several steps, aid traver.
sing short vestibule, were at once in the
body of the church AS my eye ranged
through the stupendous arches, whose
vistas were bounded by blazen gates, and
up the polished walls, benched with tier
on tier of colonnaded galleries, and still
mounting, swept along the ceiling, from
cupola to cupola, and half.dome to half
dome, till, finally, itreposed on the great
central vault, which, 18O feet above,
sprang from the shoulders of four sera-
phim, and spanncd the distance of lis
feet at an angle fearfully disproportionate
to the immensity of she leap, saw much
that was truly grand and imposing; but
nowhere could | discern that richness of
material, or magnifcence of cecofation,
THAT stimulated the Emperor Justinian to
exch,im over his work, az have surpassed
Ithee, o Solomonp' Since the old Con.
stantmople Cathedral, dedicated to tho
Eternal Wisdom, has been degraded into
the metropolitan temple of'the False Pro-
phetg lit has been.tlespoiled of most of its
christian ornaments, and Santa. Sophia
owesi its present celebrity infinitely more
to what il has been-than to wbNtitnowis'
In harmony of outline, purity ofstyle, and
perfection of individual parts, ills exceed
II n NHaH ~ nH.nN g n