The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-26
PALACES OFTHE SULTANS.
Past and Present Residences of the
Turkish iEmperOrs.

Turkish IEmperOrs.
Opened as a Favor to the Delegates of the
International Congress of Hygiene-Re-
Treatments Served in Turkish Style
Constantinople, Oct. q. AS delegates
of the International Congress of Hygiene
we received several favors at the hands
of the Sultan. For instance, his Majesty
graeiously placed at our disposal two
lieutenants attached to his person, SO
that we might visit the Seraglio. This
is privilege which the ordinary tourist
does not enjoy, unless he is prepared to
expend large sum of money. First a
special order or trade must be obtained
from the Sultan himself; then it is nee
essary to give from $25 to $50 in presents
to the servants of the palace.
To navigators the Seraglio Point is a
familiar term. On the STAN boul side of
Constantinople the land juts out and
forms promontory, with the Golden
Horn to the left, the Sea OF Marmora to
the right, the entrance of the Bosphorus,
Galata and the lights of Pera in front.
Behind the point is the site of the
Acropolis of Byzant;um, and on the
Marmora shore the lighthouse that indi-
Gates the approach to the port. The
Seraglio, being on the summit of the
promontory commands a magnificent
vie1 of all the surroundings, and Is
swept by pure sea breezes. If [ were
T l. 10
living on this historical spot close to
the Ministries and the business of gov
eminent. 1t was the principal residence
of the Sultans up to the beginning Oh
this century. Then Mohammed H., the
Reformer, among other changes, removed
to the other side of the Golden Horn,
to the European side, and lived in the
palace of Cheragan. When the beautiful
white palace the Dolmabaghcheh, was
built on the shores of the Bosphorus,
the old Seraglio was abandoned AS a
residence of the reigning Sui tans. 1t
was gwen over to tine widows OF former
Sultans and their servants But. In
spite OF the beauty and the comforts OF
such a palace as the Dolmabaghcheh,
it has but little or no historical interest,
nor does it's style of architecture suggest
anything else but the spread of western
art and Western methods of building to
the far East.
The general effect of the Dolmabaghch
is certainly most beautiful. principally
in consequence of the exquisite contrast
of it's pure white stone walls rising up
from the dark blue waters of the Bos-
phorus toward the lighter blue of the
heavens. The marble em bankments
and the marble steps reaching down to
the water, and the light crafts dartlng
past in all directions, help to constitute
8 picture not easily forgotten; but,
nevertheless, the Dolmabaghch is
quite modern structure, built by the
Sultan A bdul Mejid in 1858, and decor
ated with more profusion than TASTE In
the interior, mirrors, chandeliers, brill
jantly painted ceilings, stained glass
and. in fact, all that glitters that is rich
and striking to the eye, have been law
ishly employed. The Throne Room is
ore of the largest halls of this descrip-
ton in Europe.
luxurious decorations, and its beauty
the Dolmabagh was inhabited by
but two Sultans-Abdul Mejidand Abdul
Aziz. But the latter Sultan, evidently
not satisfied with this residence. con-
structed the Palace of Cheraaagn on the
spot where Mahud. II. lived when Re
left the Seraglio of STEAMBOAT. THIS
palace is built almost exclusively of
marble, and is likewise on the shores of
the Rosphorus, but little further away
from the town. Smaller In size, 1T is
decorated in an equally lavish style, aud
now serves as the residence of the ex-
Sultan Murad ", who, on the ground
of ill health, was not allowed to reign.
The actual Sultan, Abdul Hamid II.
lives close by at the Yildlz Kiosk.
bridge, thrown over the main road, con-
meets the two residences, but that of..the
Sultan Abdul Hamid stands on some
what higher ground. The Yildiz Kiosk
is surrounded by large park and lofty
wallis The palace itself is small, though
1t is here that the present Sultan receives
his Ministers, the Foreign Am bassadoIs,
and even enterIains them at his table.
But, if small, the Yildiz Kiosk is lifted
up with much more elegance and taste
than the other palaces. Then the views
from the windows are most beautiful.
the park is admirably laid out. and the
harem is appropriately placed in the
centre of flower garden. There IS also
as the most modern of all Innovations
a court theatre. III a word, the Yildlz
Kiosk is at once the smallest, but Dy
far the most artistic OF the Imperial
palaces. By selecting this place as ms
usual residence the Sultan shows that
he is a man of more refined taste than
his predecessors. Close to his residence
the Sultan has built small but very
graceful mosque. named after him
Hamidieh Jami. 1t is to this mosque
that the Sultan usually proceeds for the
weekly ceremony of the Selamik: In
the immediate vicinity there are large
barracks, where several thousands of the
best troops in Europe are stationed under
the command of Ghazi Osman Pasha,
the hero of Pievna. Here on these
heights, close to the Jewish and Arme-
nian quarter of Orta-Keni, well away
from the noise. turmoil and unwhole-
some doors of the great Oriental capital,
lives the chief Of the Mohammedan
religion and the Sultan of the Ottoman
empire 1t is appalling to think how
much depends on the discretion, the
tact, the ability, of this one man. A
single blunder on his part might suffice
to reopen the Eastern question and
throw all Europe into war that would
surpass by its extent and its horrors all
that has ever occurred before. When
the Sultan passed close to the special
and privileged position in which I had
been placed so as to witness the Selamik
l could not but be deeply impressed by
the thought worn face of this powerful