Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-10-09
sTAMEOUL MOSQUES.
How They Tower over All Sections 20
Corstantinople

How They Tower over All Sections 20
Corstantinopie
The visit Of the Kaiser 10 CONSTANT
nople will be brief. but he will probably
have occasion TO visit some Of the more
notable of the mosques of that city. for
mosques are everywhere in Stamboul.
BY casting one glance across the Golden
Horn, as you stand at window of the
residence of the German Ambassador
In Perea, you can see seven in line.
A closer inspection would reveal many
more. Rising from the crests of the
hills, nesting down by the blue waters,
hiding away in the cypress groves,
springing from among the green-lat-
ticed houses of the suburbs, there is no
place where the mosque is not.
At one time it was simple edifice con-
sisting of single dome with a solitary
fountain in narrow court. At another
it almost rivals in size and majesty
Saint Sophia itself, and in some of the
most universally favored mosques, the
Muzzein, or calling to prayer, might be
sent forth from six long slender min
arets at time. In the larger mosques
dome would rise above dome, fountain
send its sparkling stream toward fOun
tain, court would open into court while
marble columns file on in long sue
cession ,latticed windows, troop forward
range after ranSa, with a prodigality
which astonisRes those who have not
understood that to build and endow a
lordly mosque was the first object of
most of the Sultans who have ruled at
Constantinople, from Mahomet, the
Conquerer, to Abdul Hamid, in the
present day. And wherever the mos
que is, there dWells the dove, Bird of
Mecca" as the Osmanll call ii, recount
ing numerous legends to prove that it
was best beloved among the winged
creatures of Mahomet, their Prophet
A story runs that the first pigeons
who made their home in mosque were
placed there by Sultan Bajazet He
stood on the steps looking up at the
sacred building which he had erected
and only needed one touch to make it
complete. AS he fingered, an aged
crone approached and begged him to
buy bird from the basket hidden be-
meath her ferighee. The kindly mon
f,,rp nd q L IN
snowy white doves, gave her gold
piece in exchange. He then threw
them into the air and they at once
winged their way to the central dome,
nesting among the marble sculptures
at its base.
"Bismillah." said the pious Bajazet;
"the hand of Allah is in this. My
mosque is crowned by an act OF char
ity, and the Prophet has received the
birds into his own home" The birds
increased and multiplied, flew from
minaret to minaret, and from cupola to
cupola on both shores of the Golden
Horn, till now they are absolutely in
Vulnerable.
The beauty Of the interior of the
mosques is greatly married by certain
tawdry accessories. Enormous disks
of deal, painted grass greei, with
texts from the Koran inscribed upon
them, hang across the marble pillars
crystal balls, tufts of silk and ostrich
eggs. emeblematic of the Resurrection,
SON etimes to the number Of many
score, are suspended from the domed
roof. Chests and trunks containing
valuable and not infreqnently such
thing\ as jewelled scimitars, costly
tapestries, goblets and salvers of gold.
lie in the angles and sideways Of the
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