The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-28
CONSTANTINOPLE.
A Graphic Description OF the Turkish
Capital.

any one nation, cities that have influence
ed the whole world, or round which its
history has at one time or another re-
volved, cities in which students and
philosophers from every country are
equally interested. These four are Jeru-
salem, Athens, Rome, Constantinople.
The first has given to civilized mankind
their religion; the second has been our
great instructress in literature and art;
the third has spread her laws, her Ian
guages, her political and ecclesiastical
institutions over half the globe. And
though Constantinople can lay no claim
to the moral or intellectual glories of
these other three, though her name does
not command our veneration like Jeru-
salem, nor our admiring gratitude like
Athens, nor our awe like Rome, she has
preserved, and seems destined to retain,
an influence and Importance which they
have in great measure lost. They be-
long mainly to the past; she is still a
power in the present, and may be q
mighty factor in the future. For fifteen
hundred years she has been seat of
empire, and for an even longer period
the emporium of commerce to which
the events of our own time seem destined
to give growing magnitude.
If you look at the map you will see
what a remarkable, and indeed unique,
position Constantinople occupies. It is
on the great highway which connects
the Black Sea with the Mediterranean,
and separates Europe from Asia. Thus
it commands at once two seas and two
continents. All the marine trade, both
export and import, of the vast territor-
les which are drained by the Danube and
the great rivers of southern Russia, as
well as that of the north coast of Asia
Minor, and of those rich Eastern lands
that lie round the Caspian, must pass
under its walls. When the neighboring
countries ere opened up by railways it
will be the center from which lines will
radiate over European Turkey and Asia
Minor. With foot, 30 to speak, on
each continent, the power that possesses
it can transfer troops or merchandise at
will from one to the other, and can pre-
vent any one else from doing 80. Then
consider how strong it is against attack.
1t is guarded on both sides by long
and narrow strait-to the N. e. the
Bosphorus, and to the s. w. the Darda-
nelles-each of which can, by the erec-
ton of batteries, possibly by the laying
down of torpedoes, be easily rendered
impregnable to naval attack. For the
Bosphorus, as you probably know, is
fifteen miles long, with bold rocky hills
on either side, and a channel which is
not only winding but it is nowhere over
two miles and in some places scarcely
half mile wide. And it possesses a
splendid harbor, land locked, tideless,
and with water deep enough to float the
largest vessels. On the land side it is
scarcely less defensible, being covered
by an almost continuous line of hills,
lakes and marshes, with comparatively
narrow passage through them, which
offers great advantages for the erection
of Notifications. There is no other such
site in the world for an imperial city. In
other respects it is equally fortunate.
of its beauty 1 shall say something
presently. Although the climate is very
hot in summer, and pretty keen in win
ter, it is agreeable. for the air is kept
deliciously fresh by the seldom failing
breezes that blow down from the Euxine
or up from the Egean sea, and the sea
itself is great purifier. Though there
is no tide there is swift surface current
sweeping down into the sea of Marmora
and the Mediterranean, q current at one
point so strong that boats have to be
towed up along the shore, which carries
off whatever is thrown into the water.
So, though it is one of the dirtiest towns
in the East, fancy it is one of the most
healthy.
People are always saying that the in
side of Constantinople dispels the illu-
sions which the view of it from the sen
or the neighboring hills has produced.
But those who say so, if they are not
merely repeating the common. places OF
their guide book, can have no eye fol-
the picturesque. 1 grant that the in.
terror is very dirty and irregular and
tumble-down, that smells offend the
nose, and loud harsh cries the ear. But
then, it is so wonderfully strange and
curious and complex, full of such bits Of
color, such varieties of human life, such
far reaching associations from the past
that whatever an inhabitant may desire
a visitor at least would not willingly see
anything improved or cleared away
The streets are crooked and narrow,
climbing up steep hills, or winding
along the bays of the shore, sometimes
lined with open booths, in which stolid
old Turks sit cross-legged sleepily
smoking, sometimes among piles O.
gorgeous fruit, which even to behold i
feast, while sometimes they are hem
med in by high windowless walls ant
crossed by heavy arches, places wher,
you think robbers must be lurking.
Constantinople has absolutely nothing
to show from pagan times. Thougl
Byzantium was nearly as old as Rome
the city of Constantine is the truo crea
tion of the first Christian emperor, ant
possesses not a relic of paganism, ex
cept the twisted serpents from DELPHI
and an Egyptian obelisk planted nea
them in the hippodrome.
There are no shops in the streets o
Stamboul proper, for nearly everything
except food, is sold in the bazaar, whicl
is an enormous square building, con
sisting of a labyrinth of long covere'
arcades, in which the dealers sit in thei
stalls with their wares piled up roun
them. 1t is oil locked up at sunset
You may buy most things in it, but tn
visitor is chiefly attracted by the rug
and carpets from Persia, Anstolia, anC
Kurdistan, the silks of Broussa, ant
the stores of old armor (real and false
from everywhere. Purchasing is N
easy matter. for stranger is aske
thrice the value of the goods, and unles
he is content to be cheated both by tn
dealer and his own cicerone interprete
(who of course receives a secret commits
sion from the vendor), he must spen
hours and hours in bargaining. Bus