Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-01-04
CJrreepondence OF the TeIegrap
Letter from Turkey.
THE MOSQUE or ST. SOPHIA.

AS the title "Sophia" would indicate, this
mosque was originally church of the Greeks,
and the present structure implies the history of
four churches. The original one being built
by Constantine in the foirth century, and was
aiterward destroyed by fire; So Jared its two
successors. The building we are To consider
WAS erected by Jusiiuian about 4. ID. 535, and
so has an age Of something over 300 years.
Perhaps there is no object Of more lively in
terest To the tourist, than this, in all Canstan-
tinople. There are now thirty or forty other
mosques, bIt none OF which reveals such
memories as this; none which can stir such
jealousy in the heart Of tho Crock, or pride in
the Turk. AS We have said, the mosque of
Saint Sophia is Of JustiDians reign. The
ground which it covers was POSSESSED by one
Anna, who long refused her consent to part
with 1t. The land was considered to be worth
e85 (gold). She declared it cheap at $500.
Many measures were devised to lead her to re-
linqush her hold on the property. Finally.
the Emperor himself fcalled upon her She was
so delighted by the honor OF such visitor
that she Jtre him all, only praying that she
might be buried near the spot, that ut the Judg-
ment she might rise and claim the purchase
money. To give you an idea of It's size, let me
say that 10000 workmen were busy 8 years. l
do not mean that every one labored heroically
the whole time, tor such a thing could not be
possible If the Greek Chuich had half as many
holydays as at present. But at all events. when
they had completed their task, Saint Sophia
was valued at gl3,0O0,000 sterling. Its di-
mensions were length $50 feet; breadth 243
feet; height, l70 feet This vast stone pile
was built in the purest Byzantine architecture,
and for centuries stood without rival in the
East All portions of the world contributed
TO the treasures Of the interior as for exam
pie, eight red porphyry columns were brought
from the Temple of the Sun at Baalbek
Eight Of green Scrpentine from the Temple of
Diana al Ephesus. Among the columns on the
ground floor "a in numbcr) are representations
of every form of the older worship of the Ro-
man Empire. There are spols here taken
from the pagan temples of Athens, Delos, Tro-
as, Cyzicus and other sanctuarles of the hea-
then gods. There are in all l07 pillars adorn-
ing and lending support TO the entire slruct-
ure. At the top rises great dome from the
midst OF four lesser ones just below. The
central point Is about 180 feet from the marble
pavement beneath. Enormous galleries run
around three sides of the building. These tho
women formerly filed, as they were not per
mitied TO worship below 1t is estimated that
the Saint Sophia will accommodate 80, 1000 per.
sons, As soon us this glorious work oi art was
completed, Jusinian exclaimed, II have con-
quered thee, o Solomon" and ordered one
thousand oxen, sheep, swine, deer and poultry
to be sacrificed. At the west entrance tower
is sill standing which was 10 receive set of
bells presented by the Dodge of Venice, but
which the Turks have melted down into can
non.
Juslinian might indeed boast of this master.
piece of Christian architecture II stood alone
In the world. None of the modern wonders
Of art were then erected. Not the Cathedral
at Cologne nor ST. Peters at Rome--and 1t is
impossible for US even at this day to imagine
the splendor OF Saint Sophia In the most -four.
ishing period of the Greek Church.
Stanley. In his History OF the Eastern
Church, epeaks OF party Of ambassadors
coming from Russia 10 Consianlinople some
time in the Middle Ages, were so attracted by
the magnnosnoe of this Temple and its sol
emn service, thar they returned believing fully
that they had seen miracle. But we have
no time to trace further this noble edlfco as q
Church. When tho Capital fell, II fell us u
trophy To the conquerers. On the Goth day of
May, i45S, after siege of iihy-three days, q
successful breach was made In the walls by the
Turkish hosts, and Mahomet ii rode triumph
antly into the Church Of Saint Sophia, up 10
the high alter, aud, with his crescent banner
lined, be shouted, "There is no god but God,
aud Mahome, Is his prophet" The adornlngs
of the Greek ceremonial were torn away-eve'
ry lmage and cross, every vestige Of tue older
form of worship. One capital feature OF the
Mahommedans Is the simplicity of the mosque
"a perfect absence OF oil imagery. The Ko.
ran iorbids any limitations of animate nature
aud the command 10 strictly observed, even in
their fountains and houses. A discovery was
made In is47. The Sultan had ordered thor
ough repair Of all the mosques. While Il was
going forward In the one of which We have
spoken, there was disclosed from beneath A