The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-04
MAH0METS GREAT TEMPLE.
HOLY SOPHIA, THE GLORY OF con-
STANTINOPLE.

A sight That Makes Life Impress
siOn-FIistory of One of the Grand
est Edifces in the wOrId-what
One Sees and Feels on Entering
the Greatest Church of the MOham-
medanS.
Constantinople, July Eff you ascend
Of a clear afternoon 10 the top OF Bull
gurlu, a mountain just across the Bos-
phorus from Constantinople. you will see
one Of the most beautiful sights in the
world. The city. with its hundreds Of
mosques and white minarets, lies a your
feet: a few miles below, from the deep
blue waters Of the Sea Of Marmora, rise
the Islands of the Prince up into the air:
while to the east the one lonely caravan
route loses Itself among the hills of Asia,
and when the eye fails the imagination
continues the journey till It reaches the
far away lands of oriental splendor that
we know best through poets dreams.
But on the European side the massive
turrets and minarets Of Holy Sophia tower
up above the house tops and hold the at
tention and arouse the muse Of ancient
history. Holy Sophia is now the ST.
Peters of Mohammedanism; a Christian
church has become a mosque. Centuries
ago, when all that was best in the world
was centered on the shores of the Bos-
phOrus. the emperor of the east took
thought, as did Solomon, in the days
of IsraeIs glory. and vowed a tenn
pie to the Lord. The remotest corners
of the Greek empire were dispoiled of
their treasures and jewels that God might
be glorifed at the capital. When years
had passed away the church was complete
and Justinian, the emperor, on the day of
dedication, raised his hands TO heaven,
and, with high-beating heart, exclaimed:
"Oh, Solomon. l have surpassed thee"
For eight hundred years this church was
the center of the Christian faith of the
east. But in 1853 the Turks came rushing
into Europe like pack of angcred wolves
and drove the Christians toward the west.
This invasion meant for Western Europe,
the renaissance and the new life, but Tor
COnstantiuOple il meant d eatn and deS era
tlOn. hundreds OF women and children
We're slaughtered by the affairs of Holy
Sophia, and since that day il is the
muezzin who, in his ministrations, looks
toward Mecca and calls upon Mahammed
and not the priest with hands alOft looking
for the vision of the cross and the Christ
Eight hundred years Christian church
and 800 years a MChaHi-ledan mosque;
Thirteen hundred years the sanctuary of
ceaseless prayers beneath Gods stars 1t
is with reverence that one lays aside
ones shoes on crossing the threshold, for
the place is holy ground. l shall never
forget the experience of my entrance.
The long, dark climb up the winding
street, the strange mutter of the door
keeper the solemn and strange act of
removing the shoes, the noiseless passage
between the curtains and at last the
vision. A vast space Of hay light,
through which the CLEANS of the thou
sands of lamps fell like rays from the
stars; on four sides massive pillars of
oolored marbles rising till their forms be-
come almost lost in the distance; spread
over the immense stretch of floor an I'M
broken field of rich velvety Turkish rugs;
Just above the center tho cupola, seeming
to swing in midair without any visible
means Of support, and towering in the
pale maze Of light the presence of God.
From the galleries the view Is even
more sublime. l slowed myself in a cor
ner and peered over the railing The wor-
shippers began to assemble. 1t was the
month of Ramadan, during which period
no TURK may eat or work until midnight,
and during this month the city is filed
Win DiiBIlAlS. quietly the men came n.
barefoot, carrying their shoes in the hands
They ranged themselves sitting cross
kneed in long straight files that stretched
diagonally across the body of the church
the rows about three feet apart The
faces of the congregation were turned to-
ward Mecca, the holy city of MOhammed,
where the prophet lies buried. The pill
grims huddled themselves together around
the chancel in corner and they seemed
like flock Of timid sheep hinching under
the fear Of a coming storm.
suddenly low, wailing cry came from
the chancel In the huge, empty space
1t sounded Ike the feeble voice OF dis
tressed bird in forest. In plaintive notes
the muezzin began to chant the services
the pilgrims at his feet murmuring a heavv
undertone. Then came a pause. and in
perfect unison the rows of worshiDDers
bowed three times their heads to the
ground, piteously calling: Allah! Allabi
oh God. oh Godr' Then the chant began
once more to end as before, with the an
swering pleadings Of the men, The feel
ing Tor the Mohammedan religion. its
creed, its spirit and vital principle were
clear to any one who had ears to hear and
eyes to see. "Oh God, thou art great and
we miserable creatures PROSTATE ourselves
before Thee. Have mercy upon US. oh
Cod
For an hour or more the chanting and
responses continued. During all this time
children at play were scampering at will
over the carpeted floors shouting in glee
and the careless shoutings of the children
and the deep walls of the fathers were
somehow blended into a harmony that
brought no dissonance to the ear. At the
door few Turkish women peered into
the mosque, but dared not enter; the
mosque is forbid them. At last the service
was over the congregation departed and
the place became quiet. And 1 went to nv
hotel across the Golden Horn, wondering
in my heart if the Mohammedans kneeling
reverently, with faces to the floor and cry
ing for mercy, were not crying to the
greath rather OF us all. A. L. H.
One of the things in which Sarah
Bernhardt says she takes most pride is
the fact that playing to audiences know
ing little Erench. MhereXer I 90 the mi