The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-11-15
TRAGEDY IS
LINKED WITH
NOTED MOSQUE
II COnstantinOple Falls, st. So
phia Will Become Chris
tian Cathedral
ROMANCE is ALSO
CONNECTED WITH 1T
Times Correspondent Writes
Story of Historic Edifice
In Turkish Capital
BY E. AsHMeAp.sARrIE1T.

CONSTANTlNOPLE Oct 2o.--lI
eonstantinopfe faffs, st. Sophia, one
OF the greatest churches man ever
built. or in which human beings even
| worshiped will close its doors TO tie
Moslem followers OF Mohammed ana
again become Christian cathedral.
IL has been 459 years since a Chris
| tian prayer has been heard in the CDR
| fee erected by Christians for Chris
| tians. The last time when the name
OF Jesus Christ was audibiy uttere i
| In prayer was on the night Of May
%. 1883. when Constantine HI, Tor
seeing the fall of his city TO the Turks,
even then battling down the walls,
went to st. Sophia and pray ed. Then
he sadly mounted his horse and rode
to his death fighting the intruders.
IThat night the Christians OF Constdl-
/ tinople filed the church and the
streets about II franticaily PRAYING
for a miracle to save them.
Even as they were kneeling the
last defense gave way and the hordes
OF fanatic Moslems swept through tie
streets, killing, robbing and commit.
ting uncomfortable crimes upon the
citizens. The first place The con
Sophia, in which the priests and many
other Christians were hiding. Turk
ish soldiers beat down the doors ana
their ruler entered with upralsed
sword, and the loud voice OF me Mo-
hammedan crier rang out through the
huge building God is great, and
Mohammed is His Prophet"
Then the ca, mage inside the catne-
dral began Priests were slain or
their eyes put out Hundreds Of nuns
were outraged and sold into SLAYER,
Christian inscriptions on the walls
were plastered over and the great
image OF Christ. II is said, was vailed
bn. These inscriptions may be uncov-
erred again IL the city falls, and the
statue OF Christ may be brought 10
sight up in the immense dome where
HI Ia said TO have rested Sor thou
eand years.
Since that May 90, 1853, the Mo-
Mammalian religion has alone beer
|worshipped there; for 300 years Chris
ians were not allowed inside The
church, and In recent years they have
zone in only in company OF a MohaE'
medan guide, leaving their shoes out
side.
The original st. Sophia was starteu
n 326 A. d.. by Constantine. the by
kantine king. and was finished anu
dedicated Feb. Is, $50, during Tie
reign OF Constantine. In 4O4 II was
burned: restored; and burned agar
n AIS: and again rebuilt. In o5Z IL
was burned for the last time, ala
what Is the present St. Sophia VAS
built nv Justinian IL took lO,OOO
workmen Ave years. IL months ara
O DAYS TO erect It Untold sums were
ayished upon its decoration and sa-
rred furniture. As mosq'te, lAc
Turks have also beautifed it a; an ex'
lense OF millions
The building covers a square OF al
feet forming interiorly Greek cross
ts dome Is 175 feet high TURKS
bdded four minarets and MAN. III
scrintions taken from the Koran
rarthouakes have ut different times
,estroved parts OF the building, Whlch
hova heen replaced by the Turks
Tradition saws that somewhere III
he church are three pieces o. the
.ross unon which Christ was crucihed.
before the Turks came the Cross We"
Exposed to view three DAYS a
Fust before Easter During the SIS
pf the city, tradition says the Sro so
WAS walled up by the priests am 'pe
Turks have been unable TO MO =.
tradition also says that in ozS the
principal part OF tie cross sos 80 :,
with the spear and sponge, rested W
st Sophia, and was later taken ~
Jerusalem. - church
To the modern Greeks the cnure =,
q Sancta Sophia; to the pe1ple g, %
Tustinians day 1t was the AShia I,
mia. and to the Moslem OF TO-DAY A
q the Ava Sofa Djaml