The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-09
HOME OF TURKEYS SULTAN.
The YiIdi1 Kiosk n ''Barbnric Jum-
BILE of Separated BUILDINGS"
Tram The L nndnn Chrnnicln


BILE of Separated Buildings"
From the London Chronicle.
A great deal of interest was aroused
recently by a book, published in Paris,
under the title of THE Private Life
of Abdul Hamid." in which the au-
thor, who conceals his identity under
the pseudonym Georges Dorys,"
sketches in detail the daily manner of
life of the Sultan from his birth to
the present day. One of the chief fea-
lures Of the book is an accurate de-
scription of the secrets of the Yildiz
Kiosk, which crowns the hill of Besh-
iktash beyond Pera. and In which the
Sultan spends a dreary existence as a
voluntary prisoner.
The Yildiz Kiosk Is a barbaric jum-
BILE of separated dwellings, a veritable
chaos of buildings without trace of
any fixed idea. on all sides one feels
that he Is surrounded by the work of
fantastical mind. subject to uneasy
and contradictory whims. There is u
goodly number of European architects
and engineers in the Sultan's service.
but that monarch esteemS them Just
as little as he does the outside world
generally. He renders their work ex-
tremely difficult by prescribing for
them number of the most curious
precautionary measures for securing
the greatest secrecy with regard to
the work. All details of plans, projects
and Of the execution of the work must
be kept secret. as the Sultan fears that
If they become known the activity of
fancied conspirators might be stimulat-
ed. These precautionary measures fire.
quently put the builders to sore straits,
thus, as an example, 1t is forbidden
to measure the distance between two
buildings in any other way than by
stepping 1t.
The site of the Yildz Kiosk is sur
rounded by an immense outer wall.
that the Sultan had renewed in part in
1898 and raised II feet. so that it could
not be scaled from without Leaning
against this wall is large number of
watch houses and barracks. in which
are lodged the regiments of the Impe-
rial Guard. Within the great Enclosure
are groups of buildings, and they are
again in part surrounded by walls.
These buildings form of themselves
quite a little town: they comprise the
abode of the Sultan's sons, the harem,
theater, picture galleries, museums,
stables. porcelain works, menageries,
quarters for the dogs, Conservatives.
hospitals for sick animals, and, in fact
almost everything that can render the
Sultan independent of the outer world.
The earthquake of 1894, during which
Abdul Hamfd lived for some time in a
led him to resolve to build an eleven
room kiosk on an artificial hill made
of concrete; the walls are of cement;
thus, the building Is supposed to be
proof against both fire and the move
ments of the earth, while in the iron
latticewOrk the Sultan sees an excel
lent protection against stray gunshots.
This kiosk is surrounded by a gallery
in which the Albanian Guards, armed
to the teeth, keep watch during the
night hours. The carpets and cover
ings of the furniture are of silk and
made in the imperial factory at He
reke. and the wainscoting is of the
most costly kinds of wood. The doors,
inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory,
are protected by complicated locks. 1t
is asserted that this kiosk possesses a
secret hiding place, with about ten
carefully concealed rooms, which are
a labyrinth in themselves, and in which
the Sultan finds at night a safe rest
ing place, known only TO himself and
TO his faithful servant, who sleeps
cirled up before his masters door.
Beneath this kiosk Abdul Hamid has
had built a storeroOm. to which he
alone ha sentry and which contains
an immense safe that holds his pre-
cious stones, financial deeds and his
most secret documents.
Although the Sultan has Installed IN
his apartments both the telephone ana
the electric light. he viii allow neither
10 be hxed up IN cOnstantinOple. no
matter how greatly indispensable they
are 10 his capital. Re believes that the
telephone would lend great assistance
% conspiratOrs. and thar a would defy
control. Eis present ministers have
strengthened this idea on their maa-
tcrs part By telling him that q Gyna-