The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-20
THE MOsLRM TEMPLE.


the Greeks Of Constantinople that the
church Of Santa Sophia, now mosque,
shall be restored to Christianity. This
grand building, which covers about 70 900
square feet-more than one and half acres
was erected by Justinian in the sixth cen
tury. 1t was eight years in building, and
when at last 1T stood complete, it appeared
80 marvellous In the eyes of all who saw it
That 1t was generally believed not only that
an angel had given the plan, but that heaven
had rained gold and gems for the express
purpose Of its construction.
The noblest temples Of Greece and Asia
were despoiled, and pillars of the most pre-
cious marbles were brought to Constantine
pie. Ephesus, Pergamus, Baalbec, gave up
their treasures, and masses of Egyptian por-
phyry and syenite, which centuries before
had been hewn for the honor of Teus and
Artemis, took their places m the great
Christian church. IL was the boast of JUS
tinian that he had excelled the temple OF Je-
rusalem.
81 have surpassed thee, Oh Solomon 2"
he exclaimed as he gazed upon the COM
pleted building; and it is said that he
caused a statue of Solomon to be erected
opposite the church. with sad expression,
as though grieving at the vast size and
beauty of Justinian's work.
Earthquakes shook the church within o
few years of its completion. The great
dome FELL and was restored by younger
Isadorus, nephew of the mechanician. Re.
pairs were made to the fabric by successive
emperors; but the design was never altered
and there were no additions Then came
the fatal May of 1853. AT the high altar of
st. Sophia, Constantine received the holy
sacrament during the night before the great
assault (AIay 29), in which he fell.
AS the news spread that the Mohsmme-
dams had made their way into the city, the
old awe and veneration which had spread q
sort of mystery around st. Sophia returned.
Senators, priests, monks and nuns fastened
to take refuge within its walls, recalling an
ancient tradition that an angel would des-
cend at the moment 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; whereupon
the Turks, seized with panic, would take
to fight to the borders of Persia.
But no such heavenly aid came to the
twenty thousand people who crowded st.
Sophia. Mohammed, on entering the city,
rode directly to the great church. Many
women and children were divided among
the soldiers as slaves; and all furniture,
that, in the words of Finley, " the mighty
temple soon presented few traces of having
been Christian church."
Mohammed himself was, it is said, greatly
impressed with the rich marbles and splen-
dor of the place He caused the nuezzins
who were with him to summon the troops
to prayer; and his own prayer-carpet was
spread on the high altar. There the "Son
him, announced that an orthodop Greek En-.
pire was extinct; and from that time the
church of Justinian has served as the chief
mosque of the city.
The various Christian emblems were GOV.
erved with plaster, and thin coats of paint
and mosaic which could have offended no
one, were afterward treated in similar
manner. Several large and exterior but
tresses, rendered necessary, it is asserted,
by the shock Of the earthquake, were added
by Selim H. and Amurath Ill. but what
might be considered a fortunate neglect was
more or less the fate of st. Sophia, until
lS47, when it was placed in repair by the
Italian architect, Foscati, at the instance
of the Sultan Abdul Mejid. This work
lasted through two years, and was COM
pleted under great difficulties. Only the
zeal of Reschid Pasha, it is said, enabled
him to bring it to successful d.-Phila.
Sat. Might.