The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-02-22
The Moslem Temple.
THE GREAT CHURCH AT coNsrASrrSoFLE.

THE GREAT CHURCH AT NONHAANA
There is a belief Of long standing
among the Greeks of COnstantinople
that the church of Sancta SOphia-nOw
a mOsque-shall be restored to Chris
tianity. This grand building, which
covers about 10000 square feet-more
than one and a half acres-was erected
by JUstinian in the sixth century. IL
was eight years in building, and when
at last it stood complete, IL appeared so
marvellous in the eyes of all who saw il,
that it was generally believed not only
that an angel bad given the plan, but
that heaven had rained gold and gems
for the express purpose Of its eOnstruc-
ton. The nOblest temples Of Greece
and Asia were despoiled, and pillars OF
the most precious marbles were brought
to COnstantinople. Ephesus, Pergamus,
aud Baalbee gave up their treasures, and
masses of Egyptian porphry and OF
syenite, which centuries before had
been hewn for the honor Of Zeus and of
Artemis, took their places in the great
Christian Church. Il was the boast of
Justinian that he had excelled the tenn
pie at Jerusalem. "I have surpassed
thee, o Solomon" he exclaimed, as he
gazed on the completed building, and il
is said that he caused a statue Of Solo
mon to be erected opposite the church,
"with a sad expression, as though griev-
ing at the vast size and beauty of JUS
tiuianis work. Earthquakes shook
the church within a few years Of its
completion. The great dome fell, and
was restored by younger lsidorus,
nephew of the "mechanician." Repairs
were made to the fabric by successive
emperOrs, but the design was never al
tered, and there were no additions.
Then came the fatal May of 1853. At
the high altar Of st. Sophia, COnstan-
tine received the holy sacrament during
the night before the great assault MAY
29th}, in which he fell. AS the news
spread that the Mohammedans had
made their way into the city, the old
awe and veneration which had spread a
sort of mystery round st. Sophia re-
turned. Senators, priests, monks, and
nuns hastened to take refuge within its
walls, recalling an ancient tradition
that an angel would descend at the mo-
ment when the infidels were advancing
toward the column of Constantine the
Great, and, putting a sword into the
hand of a certain man who would be
sitting at the base Of the column, would
order him TO avenge the people of God;
u AEAtA H0u tue AuA hHH HEtGNA WIN q
panic, would take light to the borders
Of Persia But no such heavenly aid
came TO the twenty thousand people
who crowded st. Sophia. MahOmet,
on entering the city, rode straight to
the great church. Men, women, and
children were divided among the SOL
diers as slaves, and all the furniture,
plate, and ornaments disappeared so
quickly that, in the words Of Einlay,
I "the mighty temple soon presented few
traces Of having been a Christian
church" Mahomet himself was, it j:
said, greatly impressed with the riet
marbles and general splendor of the
place. He caused the mueZzins who
were with him TO summon the troop;
to prayer; and his own prayer-carpet
was spread on the high altar. There
the "Son of Iniquity," as the Christian
Ducas calls him, announced that an or
thOdox Greek Empire was extinct, and
from that time the church Of Justinian
has served as the chief mosque of the
city. The various Christian emblems
were covered with plaster and thin coats
OF paint, and mOsaics, which could have
offended no one, were atterward treated
in a similar manner. Large ana heavy
exterior buttresses, rendered necessary
IL Is asserted uN tue stloCh " eaAth'
quakes, were added by Selim H., anC
Amurath IL; but what might be con-
sidered a fortunate neglect was more Ol
less the fate OF ST. Sophia until lS4T
when it was placed in repair by the Ital
ian architect FOscati, at the instance o
the Sultan Abdul Mejid. His wOrl
lasted through two years, aud was com
pleted under great difficulty. Only thu
zeal of Reschid Pasha, it is said, enable,
him to bring il TO a successful end.