The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-29
BY CHARLES L. ROOD


equate conception of the massive
arches. gigantic columns and superb
dome, including eighteen smaller
domes, OF this harmonious and majes-
tic structure" While this is true, new
ertheless the effect is sadly marred by
the near surrounding buildings for
tombs, schools, baths. shops, etc. Orig
inally built by Constantine the Great,
twice burned and then injured I'm an
earthquake. il was reconstructed.
more splendid than ever before, by
Justinian. There is a slight pinkish
tint 10 the whiteness of its walls. Its
size may be better understood from
the fact that 1t can accommodate $4,000
people. The interior Is Disappointing
i'm the one defect that pertains TO all
the mosques. When seen by visitors,
who are not allowed inside during
services, there IS a coldness 0iteral as
we'll as figurative) about the big, bare
floors, dark courts and cherries CORR
doris which no mere magnificence of
material can dissipate. The larger the
mosque, the more dispiriting. In St
Sophia. you may admire the green
marble from the temple of Diana of
Ephesus, the granite from Egypts
temples to Isis and Osiris. or the Pen
telic marble from the Acropolis of Ath-
ems; and your appreciation comes more
from this detailed inspection than from
the grand ensemble. So much of world
stirring history centers around this su-
peTb edif1ce, no details are negligible
Before Mahomet II, it had been the
theatre of pageants and ceremonies
connected with the religious, political
and military fife of centuries. And
when he entered il in 1453, riding
through one of the prodigious bronze
doors, before which we stood, it again
became a shrine, but this time of ia
natical belief and influence that
changed the face of the Oriental map;
against whose growing strength and
aggreSsiveness the Christian races
have yet TO contend. Much of it's old
magnificence has vanished, and, as
usual the Turks have defaced. as far
as they were able, all the beautiful i'm
ages of the Christian faith. But scrap
ing the walls and the use of whitewash
have not Obliterated the outlines of a
large figure of Christ over the high
altar, nor the forms of archangels and
madOnnas i'm the dome and over the
arches. Our guide wanted US to be-
lieve that the Turk himself has now
become superstitious because, in spite
of his best endeavors. he has been i'm
potent TO destroy entirely this SYM
bolism of hated religion.
Memorial to SuIelman.
The mosque of Sule:man the Great
is considered by Turks a wonder of
architecture 1t is square and white,
with a higher dome than st. Sophia.
1t has co!ored glass windows and the
tiled walls were brought as spoils from
Persia. Its founder is described (par-
don the paraphrase) as 1.-The grandest
| Turk of them ALL" Literatteur and
poet, musician and architect, law-giver
and military genius. he was called The
Perfecter of the Perfect Number" Yet
his mental accomplishments did not ell
eVate his soul above the cruelty and
barbarity of his ancestral race. Sus-
picious of his sisters husband, Ibrahim.
iris noted flute player, although his
own favorite, was put to death. His
eldest son, while fighting his fathers
| battles in Persia, was summoned to
meet the mutes and the bowstring.
with Suleiman inside the tent. Still
one more murder was essential to the
purpose in view. The death of Bajazet,
another son. cleared the path for the
| succession of Selim, who was son by
the notorious Roxalana, herself an ItaI-
ian with Titan hair and voice treach-
erOus and soft.
The mosque of Ahmed III. in respect
| to the ceTemOniOls of Muslin faith, is
! the chief one of the Ottoman empire
1t has been favored with six main
minarets, more than owned by any
other, and occupies the site lin par) of
| the ancient Hippodrome. The mosque
| of MOhammed IL is built on the site
/ of the burial place of Greek emperors
/ Here the body of Justinian was robbed
of its jewels during the Latin invasion,
after lying undisturbed for 700 years.
/ The mosque of the Pigeons is not worth
/ a visit except for the myriads of birds
/ that have conferred their name. They
are quite tame and are fed from the
| gratuities of wealthy people. The Mo-
/ sale mosque was once a Byzantine
church, before the time of Constantine
/ 1t is especially noteworthy, because of
/ the mosaic representation of scenes
described in the New Testament, most
/ ly concerning Christ and his disciples.
| Why the Turks have allowed these to
remain is a cOnundrum, after having
/ observed their dissertations in other
mosques. 1t was here that one of our
party 'balked,' declaring that he would
not enter another mosque. The same
| general features are tedious; when you
have seen one, you have seen all. Per-
haps, every one was glad there is one
mosque no Christian can enter on pain
of death This is the mosque of Eyoub
| dob, where each reigning sultan must
first be installed by girding on the
Sacred Sword of Gilman"
By remaining i'm his carriage at the
mosque of the MOsaics, our friend
missed one extraordinary experience.
At the portals we met a Mohammedan
who actually smiled! Urbanely he pr
lCted US around. explaining things in
good English, and shook hands cordial
! ly as we took our departure. This Turk
alone was worth the price of admis-
/ sion. The fact appears TO be that Wis
/ itors are allowed for revenue only. We
/ can confirm the impression of other
/ travellers that the Christians are mitch
/ despised. The priests looked at us sui
/ lenly with a piercing eye that flashed
/ naughty and malignant glances. They
| followed us around with apparent sus-
] piciOn, and We're alert to detect any
/ sign of disrespect. In st. Sophia. where
the sun never banishes microbes or
chill, I kept on my hat for protection
against the cold, thinking it was no
worse for the Muslin to retain his fez.
1t was soon evident I had another
! thought coming. The hat was removed.
/ Moreover. the guide said the priest was
| very angry, and his countenance was
| good confederation.
One of the interesting exhibits in
COnstantinople is the Museum of An
Gent Costumes. Upon wax figures that
would have done credit to Madame Jar