The Red Cloud chief., 1896-03-27
TURKEYS CAPITAL.
Some Fresh Facts About the City
OF tho Golden Horn.
Past and Present Aspect OF the Great
Metropolis Of the Mohsmncdans-The
Population and Principal build
ings of tho city.

Now that public attention Is SO keen
" drawn TO the almost anarcbic state
Of Turkey. the following particulars
OF the capital of the Ottoman empire
will he of Interests: Dyzantium. Islam
boul, or Constantinoplc as the place
has been y~ariously called. is situated
at the junction Of the Bosphorus and
the Sch ~ Marmora, and mcy be said
TO be composed Of three distinct towns,
viz, STEAMBOAT, Pcra-Galuta and Scutari.
The two first named are on the Eu-
ropean shore. and are divided by the
creek called the Golden Horn, while
Scutari lies on the Asiatic side. and Is
separated from them by the Bospho-
rus. STEAMBOAT, or Constantinoplc
proper, occupies the site of ancient By
zantium, and, like ancient Rome. is
built on seven hills. On the first of
these are the Old Seraglio and the fa-
nous mosque Of Santa Sophia. SIAM
boul lies on a triangular promontory
washed by the waters of tie Golden
Horn on the north, and by the limpid
Sea of Mnrmora on the south. while the
swift current of the Bosphorus flows
past it's eastern front.
Scutari, although Il suburb OF Con-
stantinople, is practically a~,separnte
town, the distance across the water
being about two miles. 1t largely re-
sombles STEAMBOAT, both externally and
internally, with its numerous mosques,
its bazaars, public baths and manufac-
tories. 1t will be remembered chiefly
by English readers OIL account OF
it's hospital having been used by the
.Anglo-French army in the winter of
1s54-5 and by reason of its beautiful
English cemetery with its monument
to the heroes Of the Crimean campaign.
It's population is nov about 10000, that
OF the whole capital being about I,5oo,-
600
STEAMBOAT is the native city, and con-
tilins most Of the government and pub
liz buildings. Here are situated for in
stance, the sublime porte Ga gateway
of justice, from which the government
of Turkey takes it's name), the war
office, the seraglio. the law courts, the
railway station, the custom house, the
mosques of Santa Sophia and count
less others; the mint and museums, the
Han Yeni, and the Egyptian bazaars.
The landward side of the city of Thco-
dosius, rebuilt in 447 4. d., and now in
a ruinous state.
Pera-Galata is the European or Chris
tian town, and the center of business,
the Imperial, Ottoman and other banks,
the exchange, and steamship and mcr-
chants Offices being in Galata. Most Of
the embassies are situated on the hill
OF Pera. The principal street of Con-
stantinople, where oil the European
shops are, is the Grande Rue dc Pera,
and the next in Importance is the Rue
Tcpe Bachi, along which the Pera-
Gnlata trans run, and where the best
hotels, the British embassy and the
Petits Champs Municipality gardens
are situated. The Yildiz Kiosk. where
at present the sultan resides. is practi-
oally in the country, about four miles
from the sublime porte. The palace
ia surrounded by barracks, where Il
large force of the Imperial Guards is
quartered; and no strangers are al
lowed to enter the gates.
The Golden Horn-La Corne dor,
Chryso Keras-call it what you will,
the name Of the classic waterway is one
with which To conjuIe. That its greater
Glory is now gone is not to be disputed;
hat it still remains the most interest
ing strip Of water in the world is as lit
tie to be denied. On one side of it rises
a lordly line of mosques, those of Santa
| C-vhsn C,lxnp AInhp,nrI Sultan
Selim, Sultan Bajazet, of Snltan Ma
hamond conquerer of the Christians
who shall say how many more? Up
the heights on the further shore climb
the palaces Of the foreign ambassadors,
that of Britain, rs is meet and right,
standing above them all.
Crouching down by the waters edge
aro the arsenal and the admiralty,
barracks and custom houses, prisons
and powder magazine; every n who
wishes to pile up q block of govern.
ment buildings seeks q site for it on the
shores of the Golden Horn. Until &C
years ago, those who wished to cross
the Horn called up a kaik or waited fol
= ferryboet; then it occurred to the
Sultan Mahoud II. that q permanent
way might be al advantage. Accord
ingly he summoned the grand admira
no less important an official is Gus
todian Of the Golden Horn-and bad'
him zee the thing should be done, the
sultan adding significantly that h
meant to survey the undertaking IL
person at . specified date. Georgi. ,
Greek, took the work In hand and die
! Il well, IS his lord attested, when tn
way was baptized in the name "Noos
rretya" (the ~benefaction). From sun
set to sunrise throughout the year 1
! vas declared that this bridge shoult
remain open, while during the feas
: of Rhamazan free passage Is allowes