The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-08

The following interesting letter 10 Of series
that BAyARD TAYLOR is writing from the Old
| World for the New York Tribune, from which
journal we copy 1t:
CossTASriNoPLE, TUESDAY, Aug. 8, 1852.
| The length Of my stay in Constantinople has
enabled me TO visit many interesting spots in its
vicinity, as well as to famiiarzc myself with the
! peculiar features of the great capital. have seen
the beautiful Bosphorus from steamers and caiques
| ridden up the valley OF Buyukdere, and through
| the chestnut woods Of Belgrade bathed in the
Black sea, under the lee of the Symplegades, where
the marble altar of Apollo still invites oblation
meadows beside the " Heavenly Waters OF Asia 81
| ga loped around the ivy grown walls where Dan
dolo and Mahomet IL. conquered, and the last Of
Paleologi fell, and dreamed away many an after
| noon hour under the funeral Expresses of Pera,
| and beside the Dephian tripod Of the Hippodrome
The historic interest Of these spots is familiar to
you all. nor, with one exception, have their natu-
raj beauties been exaggerated by travellers. This
! exception is the village Of Belgrade, over which
Mary Montague went into raptures, and set the
fashion for tourists ever since. must confess to
having been wofuy disappointed. The village is
a miserable cluster of rickety houses, on an open
piece OF barren land surrounded by the foreas, or
rather thckets, which keep nlive the Syringe that
supply Constantinople with water. we reached
there with aPpetites sharpened by our mornings
ride, expecting to find at least vendsr of kibabs
(bits Of fried meat) In renowned place; but the
only things to be had were raw salt mackerel and
bread, which belonged to the primitive geological
j. ~ Z
The general features of Constantinople and the
Bosphorus are 90 well known that am spared the
dangerous task Of painting scenes which have
been colored by ADLER pencils. Won Hammer, La
MARITIME, Willis, Miss Pardoe. Albert Smith, and
thou, most inimitabIe Thackeray, have made Pera
and Scutari, the bazaars and battle, the Seragiio
aud the Golden Horn, as familiar to our cara as
Cornhill and Wall street Besides, Constantinoole
is not the true ORIENT which is to be found rather
in Cairo, in Damascus, and brightest and most
vital, in AlepPo Here we tread European soil;
the Franks are fast crowding out the followers of
the Prophet, and Stamboul itself, its mosques
and Seraglio removed, would differ little in out
ward appearance from a third. rate Italian town.
The Sultan lives in palace with Grecian por-
tico; the pointed Saracenic arch, the arabesque
sculpture, the lhtticed balconies, give place to
clumsy limitations of Paladio, and every fire that
sweeps away recollection OF the palmy times Of
Gilman rule, sweeps il away forever.
But the Mosque--that blossom of Oriental archi-
lecture, with it's crowning domes like The inverted
bells OF the lotus, and its reed-like mnarets, its
fountains and marble courts--can only perish with
the faith 1t typifes. for rejoice that 30 long
be short,) no Christian model can shape its houses
OF worship The minarct must still lift it's airy
tower for the muezzin; the dome must rise like a
gilded heaven above the prayers Of the faithful,
with its starry lamps and embiaz oned phrases; the
fountain must continue to pour its waters OF purif-
cation. A reformation of the Moslem faith Is i'm
possible. When it begins to give way tho whole
fabric must fall. It's ceremonies, as well as its
creed, rest entirely the recognition Of Mahomct
as the Prophet of God. However the Turks may
change In other respects in all that concerns their
religion they must continue the same.
Until within a few years, visit to the Mosques,
especially the more sacred ones of St. Sophia and
Sultan Achmed, was attended with much difficulty
Mise Pardoe, according to her own account, risked
her life in order to the interior Of st. Sophia
which she effected in the disguise of Turkish Eff
iendl ] accomplished the sane thing q few days
since, but without recourse TO any such romantic
expedicnt. Mr.. Brown, the interpreter of the lega
Inn
behalf OF the officers Of the San Jacnto and kindly
invited me, with several other American and Eng
lish travellers, to join the party During the month
Of Kamazan no hrinans are given, and as at this
time there are few travellers ia Constantinople, We
should otherwise have been subjected to heavy
expense. The cost OF a frInan, including back
shish TO the priests and doorkeepcrs ia 100
We crossed the Golden Horn in caiques, and
brst visited the gardens and palaces on SeragIo
Point. The Sultan at present resides in his sum
mcr palace OF Beshiktashe, on the Bosphorus, and
only occupies the Serai Bornou, as it is called,
during the winter months. The Scraglio occupies
the extremity of the promontory on which Con-
stantinople is built, and is nearly three miles in
circuit The scattered buildings erected by differ
ent sultans form in themselves small city, whose
dnmes and pointed turrets risc from amid groves
OF cypress and pine. The seawall s lined With
kiosks, from whose cushioned windows there are
the loveliest views of the European, and Asian
shores: The newer portion Of the palace, whore
the Sultan now receives tho ninbassad ora Of foreign
nations, shows the influence of European taste IN
its plan and decorations. It is BY no means re-
with many Of the private houses in Damascus aud
Aleppo, The building 10 of wood, the wails orna-
mented with detestabie rescoes BY modern Greek
artists, and except small bat splsndid collection
Of arms and some wonderful specimens Of Arabic
chIography, there ia nothing to interest the Wis.,
itOE. aN
IN ascending to the ancient sersgiio, which was
founded by Mahomet II. on the site Of the palace
OF the Palsologi, wo passed the Column Of The
odosius, a plain Corinthian shaft, about fifty feet
high. The Seraglio is now occupied entirely by
the servants and guards, and the greater part Of
il Shove neglect amounting aimost to diiapida-
ton. The Saracenic corridors surrounding its
courts are supported by pillars Of marble. granite
and porphyIy, the spois Of the Christian capital.
sPect the different compartments, except the
library, which unfortunately wns locked. This
library was for long time SUPPOSED 10 contain
many Lost treasures Of ancient MISUNDERSTANDING
other things. the missing books 81 Livy-but the
recent researches of Logothetos, the Prince of
Samos, prove that there 10 little Of value among its
manuscripts Before the door hangs wooden
tralizing the influence Of the Evil Eye There are
many ancient altars and fragments OF pillars scat
tered about the courts, and the Turks have even
commenced making collection Of antiquities.
which, with the exception of two immense sarco-
phagi OF red porphyry, contains nothing of value.
They show, however, one of the brszen heads of
the Dephian tripod in the Hippodromc, which
II,
single blow of bis sword, on entering Constanti-
nople,
The most interesting portion Of the seraglio H.
the ancient throne room, now no longer used, but
still guarded by company Of white cunuchs-
The throne 10 an immense, heavy bcdstead, the
posts of which are hckly crustcd with rubies, tur-
quoses, emeralds, and sapphires. There 10 a fun
nel,shaped chimney piece 10 the room, MASTER
work OF Benevcnuto Cellini. There half CEN
tury ago the foreign ambassadors were presented
after having been bathed, fed, and clothed with a
rich mantle in the outer apartments. They were
ushcred into the imperial presence, supported by
Turkish official on either side, in order that they
might chow no signs Of breaking down under the
load OF awe and reverence they were supposed to,
feel. In the outer court, adjoining the Sublime
Porte, ia the chapel Of the Empress rene, nov con-
verted into an armory, and for its sizc the most
tasteful and picturesque collection of weapons /
have ever seen. u " especially rich in sarae en;e
armor, apo contains many superb casques Of in
LAID gold. In large glass case in the chancsl one
sees the keys OF some thirty or forty Cities with
the date OF their capture. 1t 10 not likely that ano.
Their will ever be added to the list.
We now passed out through the Sublime Porte.
and directed our steps to the famous Aga Sophia--
the temple dedicated by Jus'inian 10 the Divine
VISION, The repairs made by the Torks to the