St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-07-23
Notes from Turkey.

/ I. SOPHIA.
| To tire Edifor IF Hc CaloIonidn The
mosque of St. Sophia is to Constantine
pie what -. l'Iul'$ is to London. Notrc
Dame t" Paris. 81. Peters To Rome. In
fact II l. far more ancient and interest
ing than any of these. for it is Il munu-
mIrnt of the changes and revolutions
that have PASSED over this Important
city during the last thirteen hundred
Years. and is at the same time Il mla>tcr-
piece of the old Byzantine art \ re
cent visit To this mosque has led me to
investigate It's history and pen lhaps
some facts relating To its past aud pres
ent may not he unntcrrstng t" the
readers of the CdIcdOnidn.
In the wear :E!j. \. d.. Constantine
TIA" Great, who made his chosen city .
C"nstantin"plc. the capital of the
Roman Empire, erected Il magnificent
church of wood in the form of a Greek
cross. and dedicated it to the Div inc
Wisdom. -Agia Sophia II. Sophia. 1t
church "I the city. and from its pulpit
the "goIdcn mouthcd orator" st. ChrNs-
n>tom thmdcIcd forth his dcnumcia-
tiun> against the Vices of the times and
the proiiigacy of the Empress EudoNia.
In lUi it WAS hurmt hy the party of
ChrN ~oslnnl. in the tumult caused 10y
lii I..i,,,, -..I,t iI,t,, IL.
Having been rebuilt 10y the Emperor
'rhr"d"siuS III 40. il WAS again burnt
in the reign OF .Ju>tinian in Il tumult
upon the Ilipp"dr"me between the rival
factions "t the city.
In the year 5:}2 .Iuslinian determined
to rebuild It. Sophia on Il scale far sur
passing in magnitcrncc what it was
before. The work WAS placed in the
hands of the most celebrated architects.
The most costly materials were collect
ed fnr its erection, and public aS we'll
aS private Golfers were drained tn meet
the expense.
+" prevent its again being destroyed
10y the flames. no wood was employ eel
in its erection except the doors. \
| great variety of the most beautiful
marbles WAS collected. There were
eight p"rphHry pillars from the temple
of the sun at Baalbcc. eight green col
lmns from the temple of Diana at
! EphesIIs. and others of white marble
from CyZicuS. Athens and Troy. 1t j.
related that there were 100 architects
and under each of these 100 workmcn
of whom 5000 worked on the right side
of the huiIding and 5000 on the left
These workmen Justinian paid every
night. and he himself superintendet
their work, dressed in II clean lincl
tunic.
The Greeks regarded this church as
miracle. and there are many legends
relating to its erection. 1t is said tha
the plan of the building WAS given 10y
an angel. who presided over the w"rl
dressed in white robes like Il eunuch
At one time when the supply of none!
| 1;illtu. lnt anger bfl the HIhltS vi iI'
treasury to II secret vault in the rartl
where were found eighty hundre,
weight of gold. The furnishings, >icrc,
vessels. crosses. goblets. and altar. were
of gold and ivory. ornamented will
precious stones. One door was said (,
have been veneered with planks takel
from Noah'S ark, and among the Sicre,
relics of the church were four of tn,
original trumpetS ut the blast of whicl
the walls of Jericho fell down. Th
floor was of $ariegated marble who's
waving lines initiated the four rivers u
Paradise. Seven years and a-half WEI
occupied in collecting the materials to
the e,litice. and it WAS sixteen Years he
fore the building was completed.
ON Christmas night in the year 5lc
} .Justiuian drove to the church ia
chariot drawn by four magniticen
horses. to dedicate the church to tn
service of God. In sacrifice to tn
deity 1000 oxen had been slaughtered
with 1000 sheep, GOO deer. 1000 pigs, AN
IO.OOO fowls. while 81. 900 measures {
y wheat had been distributed to the poo
.Accompanied 10y the Patriarch EntI
chius, Justinan entered the chnrci