The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-08-21

William Jennings Rrvan.
by its gulfs and bays; the Black sea
is the outlet of southern Russia ana
part Of Asia Minor, and the new rail-
road which is being built to connect
Europe with the Euphrates and India
crosses the I:osphorus here. When this
road is finished, il win be possible TO
90 from London To India in about six
days. and one Of the Turkish govern
ors expressed the hope that it would
be completed within six or seven
years.
Constantine built a magnificent
cathedral. one of the greatest ever
constructed, it being his purpose to
Surpass any house of worship that
man had reared. 1t is in the form Of
4 Greek cross and was originally rich
in mosaics, some Of which still re
main. The dome is one of the largest
in the world. This cathedral, called
s.. Sophia, fell into the hands of the
Mohammedans When Constantinople
was taken and is now used as a
mosque When hope of successful
resistance was gone the Christians of
Co~nstantinople crowded into the ca
thedral-sOme have the
number as high as 100, 900, but that
seems hardly possible-praying that
IL at 90 ~ Pc -,
but the leader of the Turks rode into
the building on his charger and, strik-
ing one OF the pillars with his sword,
/ exclaimed: There is no God but
Allah, and MOhammed is his prOphet!"
Then followed Il slaughter SO cruel
and bloody that the Christians never
recall the day without INDUCING the
hope that the building may some day
return to the possession of those who
tCheriSh the faith of it's founder.
"COnStantinOple is full of mosques,
their minarets rising above all other
buildings, but none of them possess
Tor either Christian or Moslem the
importance that attaches to st. So
phia.
The modern mosques lack the state
Illness of C~Onstantine's building and
are not 50 rich in their OrnamentatiOn
as some of the mosques of India.
There is one, however. near the up
per end of the Golden Horn which is
regarded by the Turks as especially
sacred because it is the burial place
of the first Mohammedan Ca standard
bearer of MOhamet) who attempted
the capture of COnStantinOple Each
sultan visits that mosque as he enters
upon his reign, and Christians are not
permitted to use the street leading
to the mosque. The sultan visits st.
Sophia once q year, but he is in such
AN11A " lIGl ie SuoIi
has a street cleared for his passage
and then quietly COS by water to
elude the crowd.
The first settlement at C~onStanti-
lnople, or at Byzantine as it was ORR
Iginally called in honor of its founder,
was made at what is now known as
ISeraglio Point, an elevation which eX-
tends into the BoSphOruS between the
Sea of MarmOra and the Golden Horn.
1t commands the best view of any
place in the city. The historian. Ban
croft, visited this spot and was SO i'm
pressed by the magnifcence of the
panorama Sprea1 out before him that
he stood gazing at it for an hour
{ This was the site selected for the
royal palace. and the kings, emperors
and Sultans lived here until recent
years, but it is so Exposed to the at
tack of any hostile fleet that the sui
tan's palace has rs a matter of pre-,
; caution been removed to the hills
l back of Galata, and Seraglio Point is
now q sort of curiosity shop. 1t i
, visited with difficulty, permission hav-
ing to be obtained from the sultan
himself upon application Of the diplo.
matte representative of the nation tt
which the visitor belongs. BY tn,
courtesy of our legation we obtained
a permit and found it full of interest
one of the buildings contains a very
, old library, another is q reproduction
+ of a Persian summer house which,, !,
former sultan having admired it, hi
chief eunuch had removed to Con
stantinople without his master
knowledge.
:, The most important building on tn,
, Point. however. is the treasury, WheT
the crown jewels, ornamental arms
, royal gifts and the robes of fOrme
I sultans are kept. 1t would requ1r
, more space than that allotted to
/ dozen articles to describe even tn
! more important pieces of this COLES
1 ton. One room contains two throne
rough from Persia. one of whicl
must have rivalIed the famous pea
= cock throne of Delhi. 1t is of unusu
size and literally covered with rubie!
e emeralds and pearls. arranged 1
s graceful patterns. The seat is Q
e crimson velvet embroidered with gol
t and pearls. The other throne, Will
n smaller. is even more richly orna
$ mented; it is incrusted With large
jewels and has a canopy from tn
n center of which is suspended an en-
V erald of enormous size.
Along the walls of one DON wer
exhibited the costumes of the VarioU
sultainS from Mohammed II. to tn
present. Nowhere else have we see
such evidences of oriental splend6
in dress. The robes of state are flow
cred and figured and heavy with golo
- the turbans are REPRESENTATIVES,
:, niche in height and breadth-an
70 adorned With aigrets of great valu
IS, One Of these ornaments contain
ie three stones, a ruby and two enc
le aids. as large as pigeons eggs al
IL without q flaw. With each robe
er the sword or dagger carried by ii
Il sultan and each has a jeweled hal
n, die. While the robes differ in col
Id and design-as star ditfereth fro
f. star in glory-and while the aigrett
or and sword handles vary in patter
Id all are on the same scale and sho