Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-12
A GREAT CHURCH.
The Cathedral Of St. Sophia in
Constantinople.
Built By Constantine When Turkish
Capital Was Worlds Center.
Designs Revealed in Dreams.-World
Ransacked for Materials.

st. Sophia is one of the great
churches of the world, ranking next to
ST. Peters at Rome in magnitude, maj
esty and beauty. Three churches of
the same name have stood in Constan-
tinople upon the site of this celebrated
sanctuary. The first was built by
Constantine the Great, completed by
his son and successor, COnstantius, and
dedicated with great pOmp on the 18th
of February, 316 A. d. The second,
which rose upon the ashes of the first,
was built by the Emperor Theodosius
and dedicated in AS. 1t was burned
during the sedition in 1882, and the
present edifice was erected by
Justinia the Great, after five years and
ten months of labor, and was dedicated
on Christmas day of the year 537.
Constantinople was then the center
of the world and the headquarters of
the Christian church. and it was the
ambition of the great emperor to en-
body in this building an expression of
his alteration for and devotion to the
omniscient and the omnipotent God, to
place before the world a symbol COM
bining all things beautiful, all art
now rescued from paSanism-all rich
es. all human thought and skill as a
l.p .,,;4ate .tiets aonoratnrs
and worknen in every land. and his
biographies say that his authority en-
abed him to choose the most COM
petent and skillful of all mankind to
execute the noblest of human enter
prises.
me entire "oriu cohtriputeu ma
teriai. AS was the custom III .iiose
Gays .ne pagan temples Were s'rlppeo
oi tieIr treasures 10 auo.ii 'he e'ne'u
~ vi ny ,.I:,1 :.
1913 anu o.,i 10 u .,7 Nv
i 49,, -. M 49, =. ~ . ~ n1;,ar,,.
~ hth.ns of phoehus ,t De1os and of
Cybele at Cyzicus were robbed of their
pillars and columns and adornments
of marble and gold. SolOmon's temple
at Jerusalem was searched for archi-
tectural glories, and every quarry in
the civilized world was seized and
mada to contribute The wonderful
coIumps of dark green marble which
snnnort the galleries came from the
temnle of Diana at Ephesus. eight col
umns of dark red porphyry came from
the temple of the Sun at Baalbek,
other columns under the galleries were
formerly in the temples and the pal
aces of the Caesars at Rome. The walls
of CT conb;a showad tho finest sneci-
,,,o,,e of ,,,otar;oI ,,d hardior,ft in ax
;stence and the mapnificence and va
riatv surnassad all hounds. Every
| eracios of marble granite and
nornbvrv that was considered Of anv
v.lr,a in the known world is said to
/ have been represented in the construc-
| tion. and the decorations were of cor
resnondine magnificence.
| Tho ,1tar r,.s moro oos+Iv +b,r go1d
| 60. ~ ,,-o, oon,rocod Of a variety of
| nracious r,oteria,s imhedded toeetber
| =, ia ond si,,or ond ;ncrusted with
- :o,.a,. 49,. -. aa,-;t,. ,,,h;oh
| 49,. IL. 49, -, ,,,os 60 ,,.;tt a;o-
a.. -, oo.+I,, storas
| 49, 49, aIta 80. +aharrao,a ,,ron
,.h;oh rastad soIdar cnno1a and n
roidar oross we;gbine saventv-five
80. ,,.h;ol, - ;s cid r,os CO tbick-
p, .-d1 .-';.t s;aas ona othar
| y ~, "i'n - . n',is -. ~ Gov,
Levels 'n''t 'ne ST. 80 .o ~, ~ .,,ron
ne seas III sns y. 80 an ~ sauaie
| I4I n1f of
ei,. tn - 80 t,,o tan,nIa .vere
Sc -. n,ootS,,. ,a .;I,,or
Vi WHY UNI '''''
we 90 not know the Cost vi tiils woh-
| derfui edlfce, except tnat II "elsheo
heavily upon all classes OF 'he conl-
| MUMMY LOT every soui "i'hiii .ie "
mlhlons Oh the emperor, WHICH lhen
comprised tne ci'lilzeo woiiu' was
compelled 10 contribute. flnaiiy' as
IL approached cornpletioh' 'us'liiiaii'
VINO stooo by ciao III co''oh 'u,ilo "
encourage 'ne io'ooo WI N'ilen,
suetched OUT MS arms 10 hed'eh anu
NJ.
Soioii.oh' l nav SUI pd''eu Sou.
you pe thahheu' VINO mas es'ee,iieu i'ie
WIZ u Io,npie'e .iiis WIN.
Anu he oeuicateo 1t 10 Di'ihe WIS
uon,,
Arcnahsei MicIiael - sou ~
i,'Ve peeii 'iie aIeii'eo'' anu
ene ues,shs 10 'us'iiilAh III ureai'
es.iai .'.,'ois neauehus