The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-29

coxsTANTIyorLE AND ITS HISTORY.
rpb,ladelphis Inauirer.I


-
coSsTANrIxopLE AND ITS HISTORY.
| fPhiladelphis InquirerI
| Coxsr.STrSopLE, July 28. --Constaniino-
mic IL at present the theatre where Moslem
iana,icism and Oriental conservatism are
STRUGGLING against Western progress and
Christian nberality. Founded more than
| 500 years ago BY the monarch whose name
II st,li beats, 10 has stood, the delight OF its
possessors and the envy OF the surrounding
nations. as Is proved by the fact that 1t has
been besieged twenty-four times and cap
tured six. the last time by the Turks in
1888. in manner that proved Mohammed
| H. to be possessed OF consumate energy
and great fertility OF resource from the mo-
| ment he occupied the Asiatic fortress on the
\ Rospborus until he rode into the Church OF
ST. Sophia. and, striking his mailed hand
upon one OF the marble pillars, took pos
session OF 1t In the name Of the Prophet!
l. ON the Asia;ic shore he gathered together
thousands OF workmeD, who prepared lime
and brick and collected building materials,
demolisbjng Greek churches and temples
for his use, and conveyed them to the Euro
pean shore across the narrowest part OF the
channel, and on the very spot where Darius
sat 10 watch the passage OF his army rose in
three months three large castles, the walls
thirty feet thick and more than hundred
feet high. These were connected by strong
battlemented wall, having towers here ana
there OF different shapes and sizes, the en-
tire outline forming the Arabic characters
of the name Mohammed.
These Notifications still remain
HUGE STONE WALLS
and portions Of delicate green porphyry
pillars, with the Greek cross carved upon
them, and layers OF brick ard wood can be
seen in the upper portions where the walls
have begun TO give way. Fig.trees are
growing from the soil accumulated on the
ton OF the towers, and ivy mantes the gray
stone walls; wooden floors are still firm
enough 10 be walked over, AID there are
frame chests that look as though they might
have been made within the last century.
There Mohammed defied the Greeks, and
though five miles from the city made 1t the
base OF his operations. When he found that
his ships could not force an entrance to the
harbor from the BOsphorus, he caused a
road to be made over the hills, over which
were transported in one night eighty gall
leys Of large size, which were launched IN
the Golden Horn, above the chains winch
had barred the entrance, greeting the eyes
the fateiul 10Th OF May.
Here the Turk has built up city far eX-
cceding his former capital OF Broosa In
magnincence, AND retaining, in the midst oil
European civilization,
PRIMITIVE IDEAS AND HABITS,
sOending fabulous sums OF money, exhaust
ing the resources OF his own provinces,
tten borrowing from other nations to keep
up the splendor and luxury OF his sur
roundings.
But Frank customs have gradually gained
ground; the MueZZin does not excite the
entire popuace to drop upon its knees in
PRAYER: hackney coaches are to be seen on
the streets; steamers have taken the place
of The graceful, dreamy caque; the rails
road and telegraph have invaded this
Sleepy Hollow, and the Turk may soon
wake to lind "That bright dream was DIS
last !"
The situation of Constantinople is beauti-
full almost beyond comparison or descrip-
ton. Approaching it through the lonian
archipelago, every spot is suggestive OF
classic scenes. Lestos and AbydOs call up
visions of Hero and Leander; skirtinS the
shores of the plain OF Troy,
THE BATTLE-GROUND OF HEROES,
the story of whose deeds, half myth and
bali reality, never fails to fire the imaglna-
ton Of the student; ruins OF PrIam's Pal
ace appear; nearing the city, the pictures
uue Princes Islands rise from the blue
waters OF the MOrmOra on the right hand
is the ancient Chalcedon, "the city OF the
blind" so called because colony settled
there with the opposite site in view.
| And now the glory OF the situation APP
pears. The city rises upon its seven hills,
| in all its Oriental splendor Of gilded domes
and taperiug mnarets, the dark expresses
acting as foils 10 the cleaning marble OF
mosque and palace. Near the water are the
! ruined walls and towers OF the old fortihca-
tions. On the opposite shore the Florence
Nitngale Hospital Is conspicuous, then the
suburb OF Scutari, and as we round Serag-
Ito Point and enter the har5or we look far
up the Bosphorus, its shores lined with
marble palaces and attractive gardens and
villages.
Galata and Pera crown the heights across
the Golden Horn,
MAGNIFICENT IRON-CLADS
are moortd in front Of the Sultan's resi-
dence. and in the harbOr float ships OF all
nations, the caiques darting here and there
among them, and over all is an atmosphere
so clear one seems TO look through IT quite
into the heard OF things.
The bay Of Naples is said to be the only
place to vie in beauty with Constantinople
harbor. The beauty OF the one is Italian,
the beauty OF the other Oriental, and
they differ "as one star may differ from an
other star in gloryl" The water surround
ing the city is so deep that the largest ships
can be close TO the quay everywhere. There
are no shallow, stagnant pools to offend the
sight or any other sense, and the water Is
so clear that pebbles could be counted at
the bottom where it Is ten, twenty, or thirty
feet deep.
But when once the shore Is reached, how
can the strangeness OF everything be de-
scribed-it is unlike anything seen In any
other part Of the world. The first thing TO
be noticed Is
THE DOGS
tawny yellow, rough, and mangey-and
they are omnipresent. The streets are often
so steep as 10 require steps, and except
where portions OF the city have been de-
stroyed by fire and rebuilt, are rudely
paved, narrow and crooked. The second
story Of the houses have projection filled
with windows. where the women lounge
on cushions and rugs and watch the passers-
by. The Turkish houses have lattices over
the windows in the women's apartments.
The bridge, al old wooden poutoon, con.
Meeting StambOul, the old city, with Galata
and Pera, is the place OF all others TO see
strange sights; from dawn till dark it is
filled with never.ending Kaleidoscope
throng. Men wearing the ordinary semi
military suit, with the fez for head cover.
ing; women enveloped, except the eyes, in
yoshmak and feredii, with yellow, pointed
shoes; children in funny quilted garments,