Smyrna times., 1892-05-18
A Visit to the Old seraglio. Con.
stantinOple.

n llttie before eight o'clock a car.
rage takes me back to Stamboul in
Tue company Of an aid-de-camD of bie
majesty, and in a solemn LOOKING do
serted quarter, with the grass orouino,
between the stones. our coocbn'aS
draws up before a Formidable IooI-;nn
ence'nte, reminding one of a medioawa9
fortress. al
These walls enclosed an absolutely
unique little corner of the earth. the
II1 ruI1nesC point OF eastern Europe, a pro.
ulontory Juttlng out toward the neiob-
ooIIhg continent of Asia, and which
moreover was for many centuries the
residence OF the Caliphs, in which thew
were surrounded by incomparabIe
spie ndor and luxury. With the boIv
sunuro OF Eyoob it embodies all that
Is most lovely, most exquisite. in Con.
stantiinlOple. In word, it is the old
oeraglio-a name that calls up a whole
"orld OF dreams and visions.
little gate is opened for us in the
outer walls, and as soon as we have
passed the enceiate a sudden revelation
oI beauty bursts upon us; the dead
past llves again, and wraps us in ito
crossing the first COURTS wa leave on
She rlgnt lmpenetrably closed gardens
rom Whlch emerge, amongst groves of |
cypress, ancient kiOsks with closed |
windows, the residences Of ipnoSioi
WIDOWS, of aged princosses. who arc 20 90
end their days in secluded retroot ~ ~
one OF the most beautiful sites in az ~
whole world. '0s III Ihe
1t is one blaze of snnsbino -.
everything is cleaning in the Or;a0t
llghti we are now at the extreme nojnt
OF OF the seragli9 and also OF 'Fnro,rnoV
luis advanced guard of the Wast =
very lofty, very white, very solitarv
promenade, overlooking the blne J;S-
tances OF the sea and of Asia IT.
oTiBht' morning sunshine floods tho
scene, In which towns
mountains and islets stand ont In to-
uer tone above the mOtionless sbaat 81 {
"aeer known as the Sea of Marmoro {
All round about us are ancient rgS;to 7
4Hlfdlngs, which contain the rsrsst C
most valuable treasures of Tursaaxx0v t
lIst, the kiosk, closed even ~, a.. u
althiul, IN which the mantle o1 ~ &
Srophet Is preserved in a case coaosnS q
Win precious stones: then Inc LioeSl p
y agdad, lined with Persian noron sA o
am, now Of priceless value, in which n
he branches of the red fowers renrn "T,v'l o.
enIeq were made of coral liouefied and q
seq as paint by process now Iost.
len the Imperial treasury. also 81 ol
"aa.. Iil whlteness, with grated win. &C
ows s IKE those Of q prison, the iron re
ates e, q which will be presently opened al
ALLOW me to enter. Op'"sa ca
ana lastly, an inhabited naIaoo el
!. i.eu Oy strictest etiquette, into which as -,
2 are admitted and where I'VE "Un ora al
lo"ed TO sit down. White noarhio M
eps iead up to the apartments ON tbe Is, rs
'ouhd moor, which seem 10 have No. ~
in the middle oFtbe la, ooen oos tic
ly a IN @ Sae then prevalent Euronean qu
sfs' theY are IN the Louis XU
we, Dnt modified by an indescrihabI:
me metnlng OF Oriental quaintness l'tU,9 tba9 ex
W. w ehein a charm all their own tat
nlte and gold wainsoots. oId foshiaAI IwA eio
psFlse pr lllae brocades, with wbifa Bo
'weFs, ~ tne coloFs al further toned pei
'ma Wy, oy age Plenty Of spaoe. pIentv On
alf, plenty Of light-a svmmstricsI stiI Jei
nquiIlity everywhere, giving one Ca
use OF abandonment and immobiI;,,, ing
tn9 1tug rom this sumptuons solitude pei
1seu ~ on sofas of a delicate faded rose
lori az tue wide open wIdows ,ge y
Ve spread out before US from this -,
'as' promontory Of Europe, the fris