St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-08-27
CAPITALS of the Old World.
CoN>TANTINorLE THE ORIENTAL

winds and storms which have swept the
earth the past winter and spring have
brought blessings to us helated travel
lcrS. The season has been 50 backward
that tourists who sought these regions
in early >pling were unable to accom-
pliSl all they undertook. The month of
May. this wear. proved to be the best
for tourists in Palestine and Syria. and
now we find the month of June very
favorable for our visit to Constanti-
noplc.
After IL week ON the steamer. passed
in -Egean waters. the llclleSpont. and
the Sea of Marmora. we entered the
famous BoSphorIS in the early morning,
and our steamer dropped anchor in the
Golden Horn.
ON our journey to this city we visited
the islands of Cyprus. Rhodes. Mitylcne.
and TcnedoS. and the ancient city of
smyrna. on the coast of Asia Minor.
y pleaS;Intcr voyage on tairer sea can
scarcely he hoped for. Arrived at the
Golden Horn. Il hundred little boats
crowded around the steamer, on one of
which we took passage for the shore
None OF these great cities of the Med
IttclI;Incan coast have wharveS. All
communication between the shore and
! the, steamer is 10y row boats. CoLStau-
/ tinople. with its million inhabitants, its
extensive maritime interests. lis mum
| beIl"SS steam lines. is no exception.
! Seen from the water. the city appears
very beautiful. The Bnsphorus. about
three miles wide. connects the Black
Sea with the Sea of Marmoln. and sep
al;itc> Europe from Asia. Near the
western end of the BoSphoru>. on the
European shore. the Golden HON ear
Thousand little canoes. called caiqucS.
speed on their WAY over the water: fer
ry boats. sail vessels. and ocean steam
rr> go and come every hour: while
/ Turkish "nn-hnaf>. we'll painted but
poorly manned. lie ut anchor in the
stream. ON land. the high and crowded
Wnodrn HOUSES completely hide the mar
row Streets :" hat the whole city seems
Il nlt>S of buildings without inlahitamt.
ON every side mosques. with from one
Ia SIN tall minarct>. give variety To the
picture. and contribute. more than ANY
thing else. to make the hills of Con
>thnIIn"pIr oriental III appearance.
Entering the streets the tourist finds,
n" carriage. although Il few MAY he
hunted up IN ease OF necessity. Saddle
h"I>c> aIr every where /" lie seen. and
the usual number of d"nk,'N> that he
i"E" {" all Respectable cities in the lie
want. i;ut ct all the liNim" creatures
that walk the streets. al tll in the ain.
nr huIr"W IL the soil of CulI>tantinopc.
the began dogs are the most NUMEROUS.
IhrN lie in the shadow they ha>k i'm
the sunlight. The, follow 1T Your heels.
they caj the IciiI>,. al the HOUSES and
shops. they stuart and barb at one an
other. The people all approve OF the
>cntinuru! that ~, in our chiI,Ihnnd were.
taught tn receive
Let dogs delight t" bark and lnt,.
F"I It's their NAT uI, 10"
They Il" not hnch ih, ,Iu"> how to be
have: they simply rt'r "Nrt thc," IA
the streets. and let them bark hN night
and bite lay day. And Yet these dogs
are said T." Lr nrrr,~.N ~ >ci\cun,I>
"f the city. Ion There are no sewers and
II" human >caN rngc;S. \ certain pie
tine of t"n>tantinuplc consists of Il
"r"np of dogs in front at Il mn>quc.
am done with the dogs: let me
~peak of the n">qnr> ThcI name i
legion. but not many OF tn, M are of
especial interest /" the stranger. The
three leading mosques are II. Sophia.
>ul"lmanNc h. and Sultan Ahmed. The
fist l. possessed of the greatest histoli-
cal interest. and is the most Thoroughly
oriental III lis decorations of them all.
Its foundations were Laid in the same
year III which the Council of Nice WIS
opened. y. -. :}25. 1t WAS dedicated
AZ Il christian church. 1t WIS burned.
repaired. injured. restored. enlarged.
and adorned from time t. time. and re-
manned III POSSESSION of the Christians
until about four hundred Years arn.
when. upon the capture of the city hN
Mohanmcd II. it WAS converted into :,
M"llamncdan Mosque. \ central dome
over one hundred feet in diameter and
one hundred and eighty feet in height.
Is surrounded by lesser domes and half
d"IncS, which are supported 10y massive
marble columns. Green granite Dor
phNry. White and black marble. and
verde antique furnish the substance of
mnmhrllrS> pillars. The Temple of hi
ANA. al Ephc>uS. and the Temple. of
Baal. at Baalhrk, were rohhcd of rich
marbles that this building might he
adorned. The ceiling is richly finished
III m"S;iicS. and the floor is covered with
rugs. Friday. the Mohammr,lan Sab |
bath. witnesses the gathering of many |
of the faithful here. to listen to the
reading of the Koran. the Moslem Scrip-
lures. The M"hammcdanS, very fnrru- |
natcly. consider it Sacrilrgious to print
the Koran. and as the work of trans
crhIng it 10y hand is Il slow pIoc,.ss
most of the instruction in il must In,
oral. In this respect, as well us in 9th
CT respects. the Bible House at Cam
>tantlnOplc has the advantnnr of il.