The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-12-31
CONSTAr
Some of tho Sights and Customs OF the
Far-Fxmed Queen of Cities.


The City of Two Continents dates
back to 667 3. c., when some Greeks.
emigrating from Megara, who had
teen told by the Oracle at Delphi to
found their colony opposite that of
blind men. lighted on the little town
of Chalcedon, established seventeen
years before by their fellow-country-
men. and seeing how blind they were
to 1--we there when they might live at
STEAMBOAT. settled at the latter place. in
obedience to the god. Their little col
ony of Byzantium grew and became an
important city.
With the advent Of the year $50 A.
D., the entire history of the city is
changed. Constantine the Great, who
needed a capital for his Eastern en-
pire. being struck with the commercial
and strategical advantages OF the place.
took possession of it, and changed its
name to Constantinople. From A. ID.
| $50 to A. d. 1853 we have Constantine
pie Roman city. closely bound up
with the fortunes of the Roman empire,
sharing the greatness of Constantine
the Great and the littleness of Constan-
tine Palaologus XVI. her last Chris
tan sovereign. At length it fell before
the flood of Turkish conquest in its
progress from the southeast to the
northwest. an easy prey to Mohammed
H.. in 1883. The name Constantine
pie is taken to denote the city ut large.
thus including Pera (the city beyond
the city proper). Galata (prObably
called from the Galate. or Gauls, who
founded colony here before its Occu-
patton by the GcnOese in the Middle
Ages, TOphane (the place of the ''gun
factory'') and Stamboul Ca suppos d
corruption of els ten polin). Scutari
| may rightly be included in the city. be-
ing divided only by water street of a
mile across. Pera lies along the top Oh
the plateau which descends to the Bos-
porus and Golden Horn by TOphane,
Galata and Kassim Pasha. and farther
| of to the Valley of tine Sweet Waters.
Pera bears something of the same re-
lation to Galata rs the West End OF
London does to the City and Dock
streets. Here European society and
the best shops are to be discovered.
| The Grand Rue of Pera is as much
Pera as Paris is France. Every thing
| collects in or about it,
Galata is the least pleasant quarter OF
Constantinople, and the journey to Pera
from the sea takes one through the
worst part of Galata. These unfavora-
bic first impressions are responsible for
much that has been said in a parrot
| fashion upon the filth and smells of the
| Queen of Cities.
Tophane lies between Galata and Sail
Bazaar. at the corner where the waters
Of the Golden Horn have become alto
| ge:her lost in those of the BOsporus.
1t is remarkable for its gun foundry.
barracks and fountain. The general as
pect of the place is military. The main
street is continuation of the tramway
| street that begins at the far side of Gal
alta, and skirts the Bosporus to Orta-
keni. Tophane is Mussulman. Gala.a
is Frank, and at TOphane we have an
example of the fact thai, the quarters
inhabited by Turks are invariably
cleaner than those inhabited by Eu-
| rOpeans. The narrow street, with its
smell of frying fish. which is the main
thorOughfare of Galata, here broadens
out into a pleasant road. the cobbles
are replaced by something like mac
adam. and a short walk brings one to
the palace of Dolma Bagtche and the
Hfoliagc of the Sultan's Park.
From Pera, Stamboul is reached BY
the Gaiata STAIRCASE and the Galata
or New Bridge. Or by going little
out of the way and crossing over the in
ner bridge. it map be entered below the
Mosque of Sultan Mehmed and the Val
ems Aqucduct. From the Galata Tower
below and around is the best panorama
of the city-one of such profusiOn that
in any way to render il justice photo
seen in the Club de COnstantinOple, is
required: but from the center of the
Azap Kapoi Bridge another prospect of
n different character. scarcely inferior.
may be obtained. Galata Bridge is as
typical of Constantinople life as London
Bridge is of London city life. All day
long i: is traversed by bright-colored.
jostling throng. The toll is ten paras.
or haif-penny, and an immense sum
is taken daily by whi,e-robed collectors,
who stand at intervals across the bridge.
| OF the COnstantinOpie spaces. which
are irregular areas. the Mt-Meidan, or
HippodrOme, is chief. 1t is encroached
upon by the most graceful of the
mosques, that of the Sultan Achmed.
with its six minarets-- Here inter ala
is to be found the Brazen Column, a
relic from Delphi. priceless in its
two thousand and three hundred years,
but in itself a mere stump. st. Sofia.
the model of all the mosques. spoiled
Christian church lying vastly in the
shape of Greek cross. with its flat
dome. columns, marbles. mosa;cs, texts
and sense of awe, majesty and inn
mensity, can not lie described in few
lines of paragraph. but deserves (aud
has receivcd) volume to itself.
Shopping in the bazars is \ proceed
ing Turkish ladies seem to take consid-
cradle delight in. 1t is the only place
in which they can brush with leisure
against the outer world. They may sit
and bargain over a small purchase for
| q considerable time. The Oriental sys-
tenn of trade is quite different from any
thing European. Articles are not
| marked in plain figures. nor is there
any fixed price. About ten times more
than the seller will eventually close at
is asked for, the buyer fencing UP and
down the scale till. after munh gesticu-
latiny and coffee, and much reiteratiOn
On the part of the merchant of the loss
he is selling ut. both parties at last sep
arate. mutually satisfied with the trans
action.
The Persians have a quarter, with a
- 4 Il
few Hans still remaining in Stamboul.
! The Persian. even more than the Turk.
| linre over business transaction. and
ike the Meslem thinks it necessary to
bargain over some beverage; but in