Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-27
WICkEDEST OF ALL
So Said Guide Leon Of Con-
stantinople.
DOGS BARK AT NIGHT
MOSQUES AND MINARETS AND
CARVED MARBLE SCREENS.
Wonders to Be Seen at Every Turn
Though Often at the Expense
of Comfort.

Written for The Evening Star.
The first night in Constantinople must OF
necessity be a more or less sleepless one,
as it takes that time. at least, to get accus-
toned to the noise of the myriad dogs
which claim the city at night as their own
A tremendous barking and shrieking ana
growing walked us from our first and very
early sumbers and. rushing to the window
to see what could be the matter, he FOUND
thirty or forty of the most battered veteran
dogs bowling with rage, as strange dog,
most beautifully beribboned and becurled,
and accompanied by his gentleman master
passed up the street for an airing.
The noise was simply appalling, and the
stranger wore an embarrassed air as he
glanced first to one side and then to the
other, as If he would say, Really, gentle
men, you startle me. l cannot think what
1 have done to deserve these threats and
curses" The clamor died slowly away as
he and his master. accompanied by the
crowd of meagre, Shrieking, howiing crea-
lures passed slowly down the street. We
were told that it was always SO when a
strange dog passed through the quarters
which the city dogs considered their own;
that the town was divided up by them, and
that no dog from another quarter was al
lowed to approach, but was attacked by the
whole population of that quarter. One
would like to know how the dividing line
is made and kept.
We were routed out by our Jealous courier
Leon at a seasonable hour on the morn
ing of our second day in Constantinople,
and spent all of our time until six in the
evening prowling happily and leisurely
about the beautiful mosques. Although we
usually gave in to the suggestions of Leon.
We, in this instance, boldly and insistently
disregarded them and refused positively to
take carriage by the day. The result was
fatiguing but entirely satisfactory day,
for which We shall always be grateful. 1t
Is quite necessary to walk across the rick
ETY. old bridge of Galata, for in driving one
is so absorbed in the noise made by the
loose boards of the bridge, which fly up
and threaten ones life when the wheels
press over them. and so bewildered by the
colors Of the varied costumes and annoyed
by the clamor of the beggars, that it is
simply impossible to see the sight as it
should be seen. In walking, the Bedouin,
in his white drapery, and the half-naked
porter become separate beings; the yelled
ladies, the gaily dressed Turks from the
country and the long-robed students, with
all the other hundred types SO often de-
scribed, in place Of the Kaleidoscope vision
become living. enchanting reality.
The First Attraction.
The Valdez mosque at the Bera end Of
the bridge was our first admiration, and
will always remain our first, for its min
arets are more slender and it's carved mar
BILE screens more lacy than any we saw
later on. Like the temple of a dream it
seemed until Leon tore US from our happy
musings by pointing to the ceiling, all
carved and inscribed with verses from the
Koran, and said in businesslike tones: Re
gard that canope, Mesdames; it is very
agrayable not?' After that the dream
faded and we went out into the brilliant
sunshine, past the devout Turks who were
washing hands, feet and lips at the row of
small stone tanks beside the mosque. past
the attractive looking fruit stalls filled with
deliciously sweet white grapes; along the
city wall, and finally, after a long walk,
but one of immense interest to us, to the
mosque of St. Sofia. The exterior satisfied
us entirely with its fiat domes and massive
appearance, but as we had, in spite Of
much reading on the subject, pictured the
interior being somewhat like st. Marks
at Venice, were disappointed with its
cathedral-like interior and the immensely
of it. The usual felt slippers of hugs d.
mansions having been tied over our boots,
we slid softly through the gilded church.
sat down upon the base of magnificent
column and tried to get into our minds
some idea of it's vastness.
Echoes of Music.
AS we sat there we heard lovely chords
of music, which seemed to float around us
and echo off up into the dome. We could
see no human being except a Mohammedan
in green turban kneeling in the gallery
reserved for those who had made the pill
grimage to Mecca, and silently praying,
with his eyes toward the sacred city. On
inquiring from Leon the origin Of the really
lovely confusion of sounds we We're led
silently to the foot of one of the high pulpits
and found there theological student seated
cross-legged on the cold floor and repeating
parts of the Koran aloud, while he rocked
back and forth with his eyes closed.
Then we discovered that here and there
in the hooks and corners of the big building
were numbers of other students; in the
holy of holes under the Mecca gallery, con-
cealed by a lacy stone screen in the cloist-
ers, and under the interesting map of old
Mecca, all intoning at the top of their voices
while they rocked themselves to and fro.
1 had been told once by Persian that he
could never remember anything that he had
learned al school or in his more advanced
stu6ies unless he rocked himself back and
forth and closed his eyes, and now under
stand it perfectly.
Why such confusion of sounds should
separate itself and form lovely musical
chords 1 cannot tell, but such was the
case.
One of my felt slippers. about fifteen sizes
foo large having Slipned off for the fonfb