The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-11-02
TURKISH VAULTS
HIDE MILLIONS
GREATEST COLLECTION OF VAL
UABLES IN WORLD HOARDED
BY SULTAN

LONDON, Oct. 3l-If the Turk is
driven out of Europe, as is generally pre-
dicted will be one of the results of the
war, it will require fleet of boats to
carry the personal wealth of the Sultan
across the Bosphorus.
In the Green Vaults of the Porte lies
hidden away what is perhaps the great
est treasure in the world, collected for
centuries by Turkeys greedy ruler and
boarded away from the gaze of any in
quisitive mortal.
| No one has ever been able to estimate
the value of the sultans jewels, for the
treasures are guarded day and night
| There are at least twelve sets of heavily
| barred doors to pass before the actual
entrance to this Alladins cave. For every
lock there are two keys entrusted to as
many custodians, each having twenty
four guards. These are supposed to spy
on each other as well as protect the
guardians of the keys
The Green Vaults of Constatio, as the
treasure caves are called, are within the
grounds of the Porte. Approached
through a court called Oar -Sa 'adet-
the court of Felicity it is seen to be
low domed edifice with an interesting
doorway, enriched with marbles and tiles.
The jewels appear to consist manly,
Of set and unset precious stones. All
information regarding them, however, is
kept secret, because of the impoverished
condition of the country and if the exact
amount of the sultan's wealth was dis
covered certain INSCRIPTIONS leaders,
such as Enver Pasha, who is now on the
"outs" with his royal master, might be
t,raok IN and
steal" For years it has been common
gossip in the European capitals. hoy nov
ever. that if a person offered S3,OOO,-
100000 for the Green Vaults and secured
their contents he would make a great
bargain. -,
PERHAPS the throne of beaten gold,
adorned with millions of rubies, pearls,
diamonds, sapphires and emeralds, set IN
mosaic, is the most dazzling object III
the treasury of the Shadow of God on
Earth" How Selim |. ever, brought II
from Persia away back in the f1tteentll
century, when travelling was SO dif1icul'
is quite beyond human comprehension.
Nowhere in the world are there pre-
cious stones to compare with the TWO
GREAT emeralds which adorn the top OF
fhe sultan's throne One of them weighs
tour POUNDS anu lHe o'iiNi -
smaller. ao1
On the table of ebony and sandal
wood within reach of the throne,
stands marvellous golden tankard
encrusted with 1000 diamonds.
Rv its side lies a platter wrought
of the purest gold and literally ven
eered with diamonds. On the
ground surrounding this dazzling
SIGHT are scattered thousands OF rub
les. pearls, turquoises and emeralds,
MINGLED with exquisitely carved dla-
mond buttons.
There are effigies of the sultans
clad in robes of state from !4ol 70
1898, with jewels on the feathers OF
their turbans, daggers swords when
are priceless, as are the wonderful
rubies and emeralds in the clasps OF
Ibraham and Solyman II.
No museum in the world can boast
a richer collection of armor, semi
,ars. shields, pistols, saddles, sandals,
.anes. and the like, all bejewelled or
wrought of gold.
When the sultana gives banquet
n her harem the treasury is generally
raided for the occasion. At one OF
,hese revels some years ago bouquets
If diamond flowers stretching from
shoulder to shoulder were worn by the
,ultan's favorites. The Sultana her
self was adorned with ropes Of pearls
If unparalleled size, and in her ears
we're birds the size Of butterflies
folding in their beaks sparkling gems.
In the language of the street. 1t
certainly will be "some" moving day
when the Sultan is forced to pack up {
lis belongings and move. Whether
lie will be permitted to take his gold
md jewels is question. The treas
,rv of useless wealth boarded away
n the Green Vaults, if converted into
ash and used for national purposes,
would transform the miserable Otto !
nan empire into one of the rich It
st countries of Europe.