The herald., 1897-08-15

to form strikingly lovely and impress
sive picture. Six of the seven towers
remain, one having been thrown down
by the great earthquake of 1853. Like
the Bastille and the Tower of London,
for many long year under the Turk
this imperial castle fulfilled an anal!
ogous function as state prison.
Time was when on the outbreak OF
declaration of war the sultan threw for.
eign ambassadors into these towers, and
their names are still to be seen carved
on the dungeon walls. Even the ambas-
sador of Russia suffered this indignity
at the hands of the sublime porte. Tho
last example of such insolent treatment
was so late as 179SAnot yet a century
ago-when the French amba sSador al
the porte was imprisoned in this citadel.
In the strong days of the Janissaries
more than one dethroned sultan was
brought here to prison and to death; and
the battlementS of the towers have many
a time ministered to the exhibition OF
the heads of grand viziers and other not
more fortunate victims
The loftiest towers are about 200 feet
high From their SUBMITS there Is one
of the finest views to be obtained even in
tinople. Looking far to the
south over the deep blue Marmora the
Argan thonian mountain range of Bithy-
| MIA is visible until it loses itself in the sea
on the right towards the Dardanelles;
and over the Serried heights OF those
purple mountains that snowy mass, like
| furled and sleeping cloud, is surely
| none other than the broad and hoary
peak Of the Mysian Olympus at whose
foot nestles the beautiful and many
mosqued Brusa.
There was originally near the Golden
Gate citadel built outside the walls on
the seashore. AT that time and for many
centuries until the final capture of the
city, the Golden Gate was the first or
nearest military gate to the sea of Mar
mora, and after the manner of the old
Rome constituted a great triumphal
arch for the imperial professions to en-
ter the city on all occasions of civil or
military Importance. The central of the
three archways of the inner gate-the
small Golden Gate-wae dedicated to the
use of the emperor alone. The names
imply that these beautiful marble gates
were decorated with ornaments OF gold,
Both sides of the Golden Gate sculp-
lures representing classical subjects,
such as the Labors of Hercules, adorned
the walls. And the two fianking tow
ers of marble give this noble structure
almost the same appearance today as 1t
represented fifteen centuries ago. But
the present citadel of the Seven Towers
was built by Mohammed II, after the
capture of Constantinople, to strength
en- his conquest and form chief garri-
son for the Janisearies. 1t was con-
structed around the Golden Gate, which
therefore formed the principal entrance
to the stronghold.
The seaward walls are, generally
speaking, of slighter build than are the
landlward walls, because the beseiged
were very often assisted by both wind
and current, against which the beseig-
ers had to reckon. But their construc-
ton is clear and standing proof of the
great foresight that was everywhere
shown in the fortification of the city.
They are in most places protected at
their base by a rampant of boulders.
Both the seaward and the landward
walls are constructed in the Byzantine
method, namely, with alternate layers
of marble Cor stone) and brick. This
method has the advantage Of enabling
the wall or tower to more easily with
stand earthquake shocks.
The seaward walls are considerably
strengthened with marble shafts in or
der to resist more effectually the cor
roeive action of the salt water. But
their chief popularity is doubtless their
rregularity of line, to admit Of
their receiving obliquely the beating Of
the waves, thereby obviating and coun-
teracting the tremendous force with
which the rolling waves would beat and
break full upon long line of walls when
the wind was blowing direct across the
Marmora from the south. That even
with these wise precautions constant
vigilance and frequent repairs were ne
cessary, may be gathered from the var
ious inscriptions to this effect.
One of the towers bears a graphic in
scription to this effect: "In the year
1924 the Emperor BASIL the pious eov-
ereign, erected from the foundations
this tower, which the dashing of the sea,
that battered it for a long time with
much and violent surge, compelled to
fall" Another inscription testifes. that
the tower on which it is placed has
been Repaired by Manuel, the Christ
loving sovereign, Porphyrogenitue and
Emperor of the Romans, sons of Com
menus, in the year 1854"
Many volumes have been written
| about these unique walls of Constanti-
nople and the classic associations that
| cluster around them-volumes fascinat-
ing enough to the student of ancient his
tory and archaeology. My aim in this
short sketch has been to set forth a
general view of the appearance of what
are universally admitted to be the most
beautiful, the best constructed, and the
most frequently beseiged city walls that
| have perhaps ever been built in this
world SYDNEY C. N. GOODMAN.
AN ABSENT MINDED WOMAN