The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-11-28

view of the Golden Horn, both ways, with
its shipping and its numberless dainty
caiques, of the two shores it joined with
their distinctive features, and, most Of all,
those who were crossing upon it like cur
selves. Fine carriages, with yelled ladies
or turbaned Turks; porters carrying mann
moth boxes of goods upon their backs,
soldiers, black slaves, groups of women
wrapped in gorgeous shawls; vendors of the
omni-present confectionery, with their
stands upon their heads; old men with
baskets of oranges upon their backs; small
boys looking out for job of carrying
bundles; beggars blind, lame and crippled,
men, women, children and babies and,
least interesting, the tourists-all in an
endless procession.
Over the bridge one is in Stamboul, the
ancient Byzantium, and to be in Stamboul
is the acme of the tourists desire. In it
are the people and the places that he has
come so far to see, and for it he starts out
on his first morning in ConstantinOple.
ST. SOPHIA.
Like all others, our first thought was of
st. Sophia We had in our minds GER
tain picture that we had looked at for
many years, an old engraving of the in
terror Would the reality be the same ?
The outside Of the great mosque was dis
appointing. Its walls were horizontally
striped in faded pink and buff. 1t was so
surrounded by other buildings that, except
from some distance away, the four minarets
could never be seen at once, and no near
view could be impressive. We looked at
it and said, "If it were only so-and so, =
not striped, not hidden; we were never salts
fed
Inside, however, criticism changed to
awe. The great size of st. Peters is
realized only after repeated visits; that of
St. Sophia is felt at once. The domed
roof is so light and airy that it seems even
farther away than it is. The immense size
and the soft toned colors strike the atten-
ton first of all, and later follow the details
of the wonderful marble columns, collected
from temples that are now no longer in
existence, or exist only in ruin, from
Egypt, Ephesus, Baalbeck. We had been
told before we went in of a peculiarity in
the carpet, being built, as 1t was, for
Christian church, the requirements of FL
Moslem had not been considered, and st.
Sophia did not lie right for a Mohammedan
mosque. To obviate this difficulty the
stripes of the carpet were made to run
towards Mecca
"You will find it very disagreeable," We
had been told, but when having our first
view of this world famed place, we saw no
carpet. Where was it? Under our feet
our eyes were looking up. Only later,
when we rested by them examining details,
did we observe the diagonal stripe, and were
annoyed by them just as we had been told
we should be.
The sanctity of mosque is never al
lowed to be marred by bringing in the
dust of the street. The Mohammedans
themselves wash their feet at the fountains
outside and remove their shoes. Strangers
are permitted to retain theirs, but, unless
they have come in overshoes, which can be
taken off at the entrance, must put on the
clumsy straw slippers provided by the
priests.
We saw St. Sophia once again, on the
Friday which ended the Ramazan or Mo
hammedan Lent. It was in the evening
and the whole place was Illuminated.
Thirteen thousand little cups with floating
wicks were distributed about the galleries
and in the chandeliers. Smoke from them
made the air thick and seen even from the
height of the first gallery, the long lines of
kneeling figures upon the floor presented a
wierd and unreal spectacle. The mosque
by this light was far more wonderful than
by day; just as moonlight magnifes and
glorifes, so was St. Sophia transformed
now
THE DOGS OF CoNsTANTINoPLE.
The ridiculous is always near to the sub
lime Next to St. Sophia, we had heard
most about the dogs of Constantinople.
When we counted 2SO dogs in an hours
drive in Damascus we thought we could see
nothing that would surprise us in canine
numerals. But Damascus did not begin
with this city, especially in the old part, as
in Stamboul At times they lined the
street, making it yellow and furry for two
or three rods. Again, dogs lay stretched,
singly, in the middle of the street asleep, and
carriages and foot travellers went out of
their way to pass them for hours, rather than
trouble to move them. Puppies ran about
ad EJitun,, and dear little things they were,
too. These dogs are not a hne breed.
Their hair is coarse and rough, and their
bodies thick and heavy. But they have
good, mild faces, gentle eyes, and, as for
attacking any one, it seems never to enter
their minds. Cats, too, are plenty; and often
is seen happy family of dogs, cats and
chickens sharing the street with perfect
good nature. The dogs are the street
cleaners. At night, when refuse is thrown
out from the house, they have high feast
ing, and by morning nothing but what can
be easily carried away in baskets or on
donkey back is left. They belong to no.
body, and would live happy and care-free
life did they not somehow get many injur-