From Muhammad II

Visitors come down and proceed to another room upstairs, where are to be seen state robes and aigretted turbans worn by the various Sultans, from Muhammad II. to Mahmud the Reformer; portraits of Sultan Mahmud the Reformer and of Sultan Abd-ul-Mejid, his son; and a small picture of the famous Ali Pasha, mentioned by Byron, asleep, with his head pillowed on the knees of his Greek concubine, Vassilikt.

In the centre of the room below is a glass case containing a fine collection of Roman, Byzantine, Arabic, and Turkish coins. In the glass cases round the walls are numerous precious stones and other costly objects, among which may be remarked, in the glass case on the right on entering, a sitting Egyptian figure made out of a single pearl.

1. The small mosque facing the entrance to the Treasury is the JTirka-i-Sherif Jamesl (Mosque of the Holy Mantle), to which foreigners are not admitted. This is the shrine where the prophet’s mantle, javelin, and sword, the prayer carpet of Abu-bekr, his father-in-law, the arms and turban of Omar, a mace made out of a piece of rafter belonging to the shrine at Mecca, and last, but not the least, the Sanjak Sherif, or Sacred Standard of the Prophet, the Palladium of Islam, are kept closely guarded. This mosque is open only once a year, on the 15th day of Ramazan, for the procession of the Hirka-i-Sherif.

2. Visitors are conducted next to the Throne Hall, a simple edifice entirely denuded of any ornamentation. The Throne is a sort of large divan, from which the Sultans formerly gave audience to foreign ambassadors, who stood outside the latticed window private tour istanbul.

3. The Library, next to the Throne Hall, contains some thousands of Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Greek MSS. of no interest to visitors; and a genealogical tree with medallion portraits of the Sultans.

Bagdad Kiosk, to which the Sultan withdraws to rest, when he comes in mid-Ramazan to worship at the Shrine of the Prophet’s Cloak, is the next place shown to visitors. It is said to have been built by Sultan Murad IV. in the style of a Kiosk which he had seen at Bagdad, and which had taken his fancy. Its walls are artistically decorated with blue tiles of the best workmanship, and all the inside of the cupola is covered with deerskin. The inlaid mother-of-pearl arabesques on the doors, divans, and chairs, are worth seeing. The inlaid silver inscription on the chairs is Padishahim chock Yashah, meaning ‘ Long life to my Emperor Bagdad Kiosk commands a splendid view of the harbour, Galata, and Pera.

Medjidieh Kiosk

Visitors are next shown over Medjidieh Kiosk, a white marble pavilion built by Sultan Mejid. The terrace commands a splendid view. The column seen at the back of this Kiosk is that of Theodosius II.

The Imperial Museum of Antiquities.—It is situated in the Old Seraglio grounds, and is open every day from 9 A.M. to 2.30 P.M. in winter and 4 P.M. in summer, except on Fridays. Admission 5 piastres per head ; kodaks, sticks, umbrellas, etc., must be left at the door.

During the last twenty years the Museum of Antiquities at Constantinople has, as an institution, acquired a far more important character than it previously possessed. Its present importance is due entirely to its able director, His Excellency Hamdi Bey.

The Museum of Antiquities may be said to date from 1850, when Fehti Ahmed Pasha, Chief of the Ordnance Department, conceived the idea of collecting together the different objects of antiquity lying uncared for, and grouping them in the courtyard of the Church of St. Irene. In 1875 this place was found to be too small, and an imperial Iradeh, or decree was issued directing Soubhi Pasha, then Minister of Public Instruction, and a numismatist of no mean repute, to have the collection removed to the more spacious and artistic Chinill Kiosk (Pottery Pavilion), itself a fine specimen of Turkish architecture.

Two parts Treasury

The Seraglio is divided nowadays in two parts —the Treasury, to which visitors are admitted by imperial warrant; and the Outer Grounds, in which are situated the Imperial College of Medicine, the Fine Arts School, the Museum of Antiquities, the Mint, and the Church of St. Irene. Between the entrance to the Treasury and the Church of St. Irene is an open square, called the Court of the Janissaries ; in its centre is an old plane-tree, called the Janissaries’ Plane-tree; it is said that on its branches the executioner in olden times was wont to hang those sentenced to death for treason or other crimes, and that under its cool shade many a mutiny of the Janissaries was hatched. The porphyri sarcophagi, bearing a cross, seen near the Church of St. Irene, are supposed to have held the mortal remains of Byzantine Emperors; they were discovered among the ruins of the Church of St. Minas, near St. Irene. Close by is Eudoxia’s Column, a broken obelisk, and a fragment of an enormous head of Medusa.

Admission to the Treasury.—The Treasury, or the Crown Jewels, is open on Sundays and Tuesdays from 6 to 9 o’clock, Turkish time. Visitors wishing to visit the Treasury have to get, at least one day before the above said days, a letter from their respective Embassies to the officials in the Foreign Office, whence another letter, written in Turkish, will be given to them to the officials of the Treasury. The issuing of the permit is free of charge private tour istanbul. And no gratuities are given to the innumerable attendants who closely surround visitors while they are in the Treasury proper.

Orta Kapou

Travellers who obtain the permit have to go to Orta Kapou, or Middle Gate, and show their permit to one of the guardians of this gate, who will conduct them through the Bab-i-Saadet to the inner section of the grounds, where they will be met by the Treasurer. Ortah Kapu, which is flanked by massive towers, is always guarded by soldiers, and none can pass the door without a permit. Within this gate is a court planted with trees, and in it are those dome buildings which excite the curiosity of foreigners approaching Constantinople from the Sea of Marmora, when the steamer rounds Seraglio Point.

A great part of the buildings with yellow chimneys, on the right on entering this court, are the palace kitchens; on the left is the dower-house, where the wives of the Sultan’s predecessors reside, closely guarded. These buildings are approached by the Bab-i-Sadet (Gate of Felicity), or Ah Aghalar Kayu (Gate of the White Eunuchs), guarded by white eunuchs ; here the accession of Sultans to the throne was formerly proclaimed.

Visitors are first conducted to the Treasury proper, the iron gate of which is solemnly opened in their presence by the Treasurer. The first room below contains a fine collection of old Turkish arms and armour; in the centre is an inlaid Persian throne, set with rubies and emeralds, captured by Sultan Selim I. in 1514, from the Shah of Persia, Ismael. Opposite the entrance, near a window, is the bronze statue of the late Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz on horseback ; the adjoining glass case contains the sword of Constantine Paleologus, the last Byzantine Emperor; and the left-hand glass cases contain sword-handles of emerald, vases filled with coral, and large unwrought pearls; besides costly embroidered counterpanes and saddles.

Visitors are next conducted upstairs; the most remarkable object to be seen here is the throne of Sultan Ahmed III., made of precious wood, inlaid with tortoise-shell, and set with turquoises and a large emerald, the whole an exquisite specimen of early Turkish art; in the glass case on the left is the chain-mail worn by Sultan Murad 1Y. at the taking of Bagdad in 1638.

The Tomb of Sultan Selim II

The Tomb of Sultan Selim II., the Mest (Drunkard), is situated in the southern part of  St. Sophia courtyard. Admission 5 to 10 piastres (lOd. to Is. 8d.) per party, according to number. On both sides of the door are two elegant panels of Persian tiles of great beauty. The walls of the interior are also faced with tiles of the best period. Sultan Selim’s tomb bears a turban. The thirty-six other and smaller graves are said to be those of his sons and other princes. There is an exquisitely illuminated Koran kept in this turbeh also.

The Tomb of Sultan Murad III., situated in the vicinity of that of Sultan Selim II., is also ornamented with tiles, and contains, in addition to Sultan Murad’s grave, forty-four smaller ones said to be those of his children. Admission 5 to 10 piastres (lOd. to Is. 8d.) per party.

BYZANTINE CHUECHES STILL BELONGING TO THE GEEEKS

The Church of the Fountain of Life, commonly known as the Shrine of Our Lady of the Fishes, outside the land walls and not far from the Seven Towers, was originally built by Leo the Great, and afterwards enlarged by Justinian, with the surplus materials left after the building of St. Sophia. The church was destroyed in 1821 by the Janissaries, and rebuilt in 1849 by the Greek community of Constantinople. The absurd legend connected with this Church is believed by the majority of the followers of the Eastern cult even in the present day.

It is said that a monk who was told that the Turks had taken the town protested to his informant that it was just as likely that the fish he was then frying would jump out of the frying-pan and return to their native element, as it was that the followers of the prophet should ever be able to take the city ; when lo! the fishes at once returned to life, and jumped out of the frying-pan into an adjacent basin of water erected in the courtyard ! A shrine, which ’still exists, was built over the spot, and in a marble basin at the foot of a flight of steps, a few fish, somewhat resembling red mullet, may be seen swimming about private tour istanbul. These are stated to be the last and only descendants of those in the legend. The water in the basin is looked upon as holy, and like the Eikon (picture) of the Virgin Mary in the shrine, is credited with virtues to cure any disease imaginable ; and no disciple of the Eastern church would pay a visit to the shrine without bringing away with him some of the water out of the basin.

Blachernse Church, at Alvan Saral, near the land walls, and close to the shore of the Golden Horn. It was originally built by the Empress Pulcheria, and destroyed and rebuilt by several emperors. The present church was built not many years ago by the Greek community of Constantinople.

THE OLD SERAGLIO AND THE MUSEUMS

The Old Seraglio.—The word Seraglio is derived from the Turkish Sarai, which means ‘ palace.’ The Old Seraglio is situated on the promontory called Seraglio Point, which juts out into the Bosporus at its junction with the Sea of Marmora, and is separated from Pera by the Golden Horn. On this lovely spot the Byzantine Emperors, for several centuries, had their palaces; and here also resided the Sultans, after the taking of the city by the Turks. It extends some 2000 yards, the greatest portion of which is occupied by the sites of the palaces of the Byzantine Emperors.

It was, and in part still is, both by sea and land, protected by strong walls and lofty towers, erected by Constantine the Great, Theodosius II., Heraclius, etc., and remains of which are still partly to be seen. The present land wall, however, is the work of the Emperor Michael Palmologus, erected soon after the reconquest of the Empire by this Emperor from the Latins in 1261. This wall is entered by four gates, which are—Demir Kapu (Iron Gate), near the railway station ; Sohuk Chesmeh Kapu (Gate of the Cold Spring), near the Eoreign Office; Gul Ranch Kapu (Rose-bed Gate), near the Marmora shore; and the famed Bab-i-Humayun (Sublime Gate), the name of which is much more high-sounding than its real size and unimposing appearance warrant. This gate was first built by the Conqueror, Sultan Muhammad II., and was the principal entrance for the sovereigns into the Seraglio.

Chinill Kiosk

In 1888, consequent upon the discovery of twenty-one sarcophagi, some of which may be justly regarded as masterpieces of Hellenic sculpture, at Saida (the Sidon of the Ancients), Chinill Kiosk, in its turn, was found too small for the requirements of a museum, and an imperial decree was issued sanctioning the erections of special premises for the Saida sarcophagi opposite Chinill Kiosk. The new building was completed and inaugurated in 1892.

The most prominent by far of all the antiquities in the Constantinople Museum are those contained in the matchless collection of ancient monuments unearthed in Phoenicia. The greater part of these monuments, and the most important, were discovered in the vicinity of Saida, the Sidon of the Ancients, during two archaeological expeditions under Hamdl Bey, director of the Imperial Museum at Constantinople. His party succeeded in excavating and exploring two contiguous tumuli. One of these contained the anthropoid Egyptian sareophagus of Tabnith, King of Sidon. The other, consisting of seven chambers, contained seventeen sarcophagi, among which were those called ‘ the Weepers or ‘ Mourners ; the black stone one in Egyptian style; that said to be Alexanders, with three others in the same style; that called the ‘ Lycian ; the ‘ Satrap’s ’; two anthropoid sarcophagi, and a few plain ones private tour istanbul.

The best and easiest way of seeing the Museum is to begin from the room on the left of the entrance and which is :—

ROOM NO. 2

The Lycian Sarcophagus, No. 75.—This was discovered at Saida in 1887 by Hamdl Bey, and is of Paros marble. The head was broken in excavation ; but such of the fragments as have been recovered have been pieced together, and the monument has thus been partially restored. The colouring has almost entirely disappeared. The shape of this sarcophagus is one which is peculiar to Lycia, where numerous other monuments of its kind are to be found. It is evident that this stone coffin was acquired at second hand by some Sidonian magnate, and was used for him after his demise. The carvings at the head and foot represent en-counters between centaurs.

The figures at the foot represent two centaurs quarrelling about a hind; while those at the head illustrate an episode in a wrestling-match between centaurs and lapiths, the death of the hero Cseneus, who is represented lying under a heap of amphorae and fragments of rock. The figures on one of the sides are those of Amazons in four-horse chariots hunting lions; and those on the opposite one represent a party of mounted men at a wild boar hunt. The symmetrical arrangement of the figures on both sides of this sarcophagus is well worthy of notice.

This sarcophagus is contemporary with some of the finest Athenian sculptures, and belongs to the close of the fifth, or to the commencement of the fourth century B.C., the period when Lycia, becoming tributary to the Athenians, was influenced by Athenian art.

The Sarcophagus alleged to be Alexander’s.— This sarcophagus was discovered at Saida in 1887 by Hamdl Bey, and is of Pentelic marble; it is 10 feet 8 inches long, 5 feet 7 inches broad, and 8 feet 2 inches in depth. One of its corners was broken off in excavation, but some of the fragments have been recovered and put together, and the monument is now partially restored; a head, however, and some other fragments of the carved figures are still missing. The repairs to the horse’s hoof and to the arm of one of the hunters are ancient.

Mosque of Sultan Bayazid

Mosque of Sultan Bayazid, called by travellers The Pigeon Mosque, on the Seraskerat Parade Ground, is interesting solely on account of its courtyard, which is the finest and most picturesque of any mosque court in Constantinople. The columns supporting the numerous domes of the arcade running round it were taken from Greek monuments and churches ; in the centre is a beautiful ablution fountain surrounded by trees. This courtyard serves as a place of business for numerous public letter-fariters, seal-cutters, vendors of rosaries and Oriental perfumes.

During Eamazan it is crowded with tents containing stalls for the sale of all kinds of Egyptian and Persian sweets. The building derives its nickname of the ‘Pigeon Mosque ’ from the vast number of pigeons kept in its precincts, all descended from a single pair of these birds, bought from a poor woman by Sultan Bayazid and presented by him to the mosque. Travellers wishing to do so are allowed to feed the birds with grain, which can be procured for a piastre or two at the grain stall kept on purpose in the yard. The food of these birds is, however, provided for out of donations and funds bequeathed to the mosque for that purpose by pious Moslems.

Rustem Pasha Mosque, at Yemiss Iskelessi, just beyond the Egyptian bazaar, is remarkable for its tile-work, and will be found interesting by connoisseurs of this branch of art. Admission 10 piastres (Is. 8d.) each; less is also accepted.

Valideh Mosque, called Yenl Valideh Jamesl by the Turks, stands close to the Stambul end of Galata Bridge. Entrance through the gate opposite the Turkish General Post Office; only the galleries and Sultan’s private pew are visited; admission 5 piastres per head. This mosque, commenced in 1615 by the wife of Ahmed I. private tour istanbul, was completed in 1665 by the mother (Yalideh) of Sultan Muhammad IV. Its walls are covered with beautiful blue tiles, and the stained-glass windows in some of the rooms are very beautiful indeed.

Shah Zadeh mosque

The Tomb of Shah Zadeh (The Prince’s Tomb), in the garden of Shah Zadeh mosque, was erected in 1543-48 by Suleiman the Magnificent in memory of his son Muhammad who died at the age of eighteen. Admission 5 piastres per head. Travellers who are pressed for time should give this tomb the preference; its walls are faced with beautiful tiles of all colours, and a wooden railing in the centre of the building encloses three tombs. The middle one is that of Prince Muhammad (1525-43). The high wooden erection over the grave is said to have been put up by Suleiman’s orders, in allusion to the throne his unfortunate son would have occupied had he lived On the stool by the grave the deceased prince’s robes, said to be richly embroidered, are exhibited once a year during the month of Ramazan. The tomb on the right of Muhammad’s is that of his brother, Prince Mustapha ‘ Zihanghir,’ that on the left contains the remains of his sister.

Visitors should ask to see the beautifully illuminated Koran kept in this mausoleum, and said to have been transcribed by Prince Muhammad, who, however, did not live long enough to complete the work.

The Tomb of Sultan Muhammad II., the Conqueror, situated in the cemetery attached to the mosque of Muhammad II. Admission 10 piastres (Is. 8d.) per head. The tomb is an octagonal building with an interior almost as plain as its exterior. The walls are painted various colours, and are embellished with inscriptions. In a frame hanging before the window facing the door is a transcription of Muhammad’s prophecy, ‘ Thou shalt take Constantinople ; happy the prince, happy the army that achieves this.’ The conqueror’s grave is in the centre of the building, solitary, and surrounded by a wooden railing inlaid with mother- of-pearl. At the head is an enormous turban. On the left when entering, and near the window, is a box said to contain two of the prophet’s teeth lost in battle, and a portion of his beard, which are exhibited to the faithful on the 15th of Ramazan.

Theodoras Metochites

With the exception of the nave and dome, therefore, the present church is entirely due to this latter, who spent his last days within its precincts, where he was buried in 1332. The chapel on the right is connected with the inner and outer narthex by a passage. The chapel is adorned with frescoes of angels and saints. The mosaics, already alluded to as illustrative of the life of Christ, are in the nartheces. Those over the main entrance represent Theodoras Metochites presenting the model of the church to Christ seated on a throne. The letters IC, XP, stand for Jesus Christ and the inscription is Xcbpa TCOV ZCOVTCOV (‘ land of the living ). The mosaics on the right and left of the door represent St. Peter and St. Paul. In the body of the church is a mosaic of the Virgin Mary in a garden, with the same inscription, Xcopa TCOV ZCOVTCOV (‘ land of the living ’); and on the south panel another representing Christ holding a gospel with the text, ‘ Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’

Church of the Pantocrator (Almighty), now Zeireck Jamesl; admission 5 piastres;

situated on the heights in the vicinity of the inner bridge, was built in 1120 by John Comnenus and his wife the Empress Irene, both of whom, as well as many other Byzantine emperors, lie buried in the adjoining monastery. This church formerly contained several relics, the most notable being a porphyry slab on which it is supposed Christ was laid out after being taken down from the cross, and an eikon or painting of the Virgin, by St. Luke, brought from Palestine. Only the southern of the three buildings comprising the former church is used as a mosque. The large verde antico sarcophagus to be seen in the vicinity is supposed to have contained the remains of the Empress Irene.

Church of St. John the Baptist and Monastery of Studius, now Mir Akhor Jamesl. Admission not fixed; 5 piastres for two or three persons, and 10 piastres for a party, will be liberal enough guided tours istanbul.

It stands near the Yed! Kuleh (Seven Towers) Railway Station. It was built by Studius, a Roman patrician, who came to Constantinople with Constantine the Great. The monastery attached to the church was occupied by the monks called Acoemetoi (‘ The Wakeful ’), whose days and nights were spent in continual vigils for celebration of divine service. The Akhor, or Master of the Horse to Sultan

Bayazid, converted the church into a mosque, and named it after the office he held.

MOSQUES AND MAUSOLEUMS ERECTED BY THE TURKS

Suleimanieh, or the Mosque of Suleiman ., ‘the Magnificent.’ Admission 5 piastres per head.

This place of worship, built (1550-56) by the famous Turkish architect Sinan, of materials taken from the ancient church of St. Euphemia at Chal- cedon, is one of the finest specimens of Turkish architecture extant. It is 225 feet by 205 feet in area, and its dome is 156 feet high and 86 feet in diameter. The beautiful stained glass in two of the windows near the pulpit was part of the spoil taken during the wars with the Persians; that in the other windows is a clever ancient imitation of the former by Sharhos Ibrahim, a celebrated glass – stainer. The outer court of the mosque is a rectangular arcade with a basin in the centre, and, with its four minarets, is most picturesque.

In a burial-ground adjoining the mosque are the Turbeh, or Mausoleum, of Suleiman the Great, and that of his wife, the famous Roxalana. The tombs of Suleiman the Great, Suleiman II. (died 1691), and the latter’s brother Ahmed II. (died 1695), are of uniform size and shape. Each bears an enormous turban and is surrounded by a wooden railing inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The walls are faced with beautiful tiles of the best period. The building contains also a curious wooden model of the Kaaba at Mecca, and several ancient transcriptions of the Koran. Admission 5 piastres each, a reduction being made for parties of five or more.

The Mausoleum of Roxalana

The Mausoleum of Roxalana adjoins the aforementioned, and, like it, is faced with beautiful tiles. Admission 5 to 10 piastres per party, according to number of people in it.

Ahmedieh Mosque, in the Hippodrome admission 5 piastres each. It was built in 1614 by Sultan Ahmed I., who, to incite the workmen to complete its erection as soon as possible, came once a week and assisted with his own hands in the work of building. This is the only mosque in the world with six minarets, except the Mosque of the Prophet at Mecca, to which latter, however, Sultan Ahmed had to add a seventh minaret, in deference to the popular outcry against his ambition in erecting a mosque with the same number of minarets as the one at Mecca. This mosque is especially noted for its vastness, the brightness of its interior, its enormous columns (about 70 feet in circumference), and for the

beautiful tiles and painting ornamenting its walls and dome. Its Mihrab is inlaid with several small coloured stones, the central one being a piece of the sacred Black Stone at Mecca. The square yellow stone to the left of the Mihrab is credited by Moslems with miraculous power to cure all the ills that flesh is heir to. The pulpit is a masterpiece of marble carving, and is a copy of that in the mosque at Mecca. The canopy under the Sultan’s box, supported on slender columns of various colours, is of rosewood, and is well worthy of notice. The ivory model of the mosque suspended in a glass case in front of the Mihrab was made by the founder, Sultan Ahmed I. himself, when a boy.

This mosque was formerly used on state occasions, and here Sultan Mahmud II. unfurled the Sacred Standard and read the decree which put an end to the tyranny of the Janissaries guided tours istanbul.

Reformer in Divan Yolu Street

The Tomb of Sultan Mahmud II., ‘the Reformer in Divan Yolu Street, near the Burnt Column. Admission 5 piastres each; no reduction for any number of visitors. This modern building contains, besides the tomb of Mahmud II., those of his wife and of five of his daughters, and that of his son, Abd-ul-Aziz, all covered with costly shawls. Sultan Mahmud’s grave is enclosed by a silver railing, and most of the candelabra round it are of the same metal; at the head is an aigretted fez, this Sultan having been the first to discard the turban in favour of the red cap now worn by all Muhammadans, and said to be a modification of the Greek national head-dress. Sultan Aziz’s grave is on the left when entering the mausoleum, and is easily recognised from the more conical shape of the fez at its head, which this Sultan affected and made fashionable during his reign.

The large chandelier hanging from the dome was a present to Sultan Aziz from the British Government; the two clocks on either side of the door were presents to the same Sultan from Napoleon III. One of the several transcriptions of the Koran that are shown to travellers is about 1100 years old, and is a masterpiece of Arabic ornamental penmanship. The inlaid silver boxes contain Korans belonging to the mausoleum. On the wall near Sultan Aziz’s tomb is a linen border with a quotation from the Koran written on it. The adjoining cemetery is reserved for the burial of high State dignitaries.

The Greek inscription

The dome is 57 feet in diameter, and rests on eight piers, intersected by a double row of thirty-four green and white columns, sixteen of which are in the lower row, and the remaining eighteen in the galleries. The Greek inscription, running round the frieze, is ornamented with carved vine leaves and grapes, and is a dedicatory poem to the two saints; but all the mosaics and frescoes forming part of the original ornamentation of the church have been covered with whitewash. Ducange states that this was the church in which the papal Nuncio, for the time being, was allowed to hold divine service in Latin ; and it was here that Pope Virgil sought refuge from the wrath of Justinian for having excommunicated Patriarch Menas; this was also the church which the Emperor attended in state every Easter Tuesday.

Mehmed Pasha Mosque, on the south-west side of the Hippodrome, not far from Kutchuk Ayiah Sofia. Admission 5 piastres (10d.). This mosque is regarded (Dr. A. G-. Paspati, ‘ BvavnvaX MeXerat ) as the ancient church of St. Anastasia Pharma- kolytria, variously attributed to Anastasius Dicorus, in the fifth century, and to Gregory Nazianzenus, the latter of whom preached orthodoxy in it during the predominance of Arianism in the city. The church has been rebuilt and restored several times, and notably by Basil of Macedon, who replaced its wooden cupola by a stone one.

Most of the ornaments and relics were carried off by the Latins during the crusade of 1204. The immediate vicinity of this church, extending as far as the Cistern of Philoxenus (Thousand and One Columns), is supposed by Dr. Paspati to have been the site of the city Praetorium and the Portico of Domninus. The church was converted into a mosque in 1571 by Mehmed Pasha Socoll, son-in-law of Selim II. The tiles with which the interior is ornamented guided tours istanbul, and especially those forming the panels over the windows and the canopy over the pulpit, are masterpieces of Persian art. The courtyard is one of the most picturesque, and makes a charming subject for sketches or photographs.

The Church in the Fields

The Church in the Fields (17 Movrj TT)? Xwpa?), now Kahriyeh Jamesi, better known to travellers as the Mosaic Mosque. Admission 5 piastres per head. The Imam (priest) in charge is not always in attendance, but lives close by, and will always come if sent for. This mosque suffered so severely during the earthquakes of 1894 as to be in danger of falling down, and it has been deemed advisable, in consequence, to close it for an indefinite period. It is situated near the land walls and close to Edimth Kaj)u (Adrianople Gate); it is one of the most interesting of all the whilom Byzantine churches, both on account of its plan and of the mosaic pictures covering the walls of its outer and inner nartheces, the greater part illustrating the life of Christ. Its Greek name, showing that it originally stood outside the city, carries the foundation back to the period prior to 413 A.D., when it was enclosed within the walls of Theodosius.

Very probably the church was erected as a private chapel in connection with the Hebdomon Palace. Justinian restored it and added a basilica, and in the early part of the seventh century it was further restored and embellished by Crispus, son-in-law of the Emperor Phocas, who was imprisoned in it for treachery by Heraclius, and subsequently became a monk. In the early part of the twelfth century the church was rebuilt and restored by Maria Ducaina, mother-in-law of Alexius Comnenus; and about the middle of the fourteenth century its chapels and nartheces were again restored throughout and embellished by the patrician Theodoras Metochites.

Temple of Diana at Ephesus

The aisles are divided into three bays corresponding to the main dome and two half-domes of the nave. The central bays (M,M) are screened off from the nave by lattice-work (N,N); the four green marble columns in the lower storey of either screen came from the Temple of Diana at Ephesus. The eight columns of porphyry separating the other bays from the four recesses are said to have been brought to Rome by Aurelian from the Temple of the Sun at Baalbek; they were given to Justinian by a patrician lady named Marcia, as a propitiatory offering for the salvation of her soul.

The capitals of all the columns are exquisite specimens of sculpture; and it is hard to tell what particular style of architecture they belong to, unless they are to be called Greco-Gothic. They are in imitation of a thistle, and are adorned with various monograms, chiefly those of Justinian and Theodora. According to an anonymous writer, they were gilt with real gold.

On the ceiling of the apse is a picture of Christ in the act of benediction, already referred to; the twelve medallions over the columns of the third aisle contained the bas-reliefs of the twelve apostles, which have been removed by the Turks. The black and white marble square within the basilica is supposed to be a model of the Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem.

The church was converted into a mosque immediately after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, and Muhammad II. first said his prayers in it on Friday, 1st June, 1453. Mecca, towards which all Muhammadans turn their faces when praying, bearing S.E. from St. Sophia guided tours istanbul, prevented the Turks from placing the Mihrab (P) (altar), a stone or niche indicating the direction in which Mecca lies, where the Christian altar formerly stood, and necessitated the placing of the Mihrab between the eastern and southern windows, which consequently caused all the carpets and matting to be placed in the same direction, thus producing a strange architectural effect, by conveying the idea that St. Sophia is built with a slight slant.

 Maafil-i-Humayun

Near the Mihrab is the Minber (Q) (pulpit), only used on Fridays, from which the Kiatib (reader) clad in a long red robe recites the Hutbeh or prayer for the Sultan. At St. Sophia, as in all other mosques which were formerly Christian churches, the Kiatib grasps a drawn sword as well as a Koran while reciting this prayer. The Maafil-i-Humayun (R), or the Sultan’s private pew, next to the Mihrab, on eight ancient columns, and surrounded by a shining sun, was erected by Messrs. Fossati during the last restoration of the mosque. The little gallery opposite the Minber is for the muezzins or chanters, who chant the service, and is called Maajil. Of the eight green shields high up, that to the right of the Mihrab bears the name of God; the one on the left the name of Muhammad; the remaining six bear respectively the names of the Caliphs, Abu – bekr, Omar, Hassan, Ali, Osman, and Hussein.

The two large alabaster jars for ablutionary purposes, on either side of the main entrance, were brought from the island of Marmora by Sultan Murad III. One of the two Mecca prayer-carpets on the walls, near the imperial pew and the Maafil, is said to have belonged to Muhammad II., and to have been used by him the first time he said his prayers in St. Sophia. On a stone in the wall of the south-east bay, just behind the Maafil, is the print of a bloody hand and its five fingers, ascribed by tradition to Muhammad II., the mark of a hand and five fingers having from the days of Murad I. been adopted as the ruler’s sign- manual, and being the origin of the imperial monogram. In the north-west part of the north aisle is a bronze-sheathed column with a hole in it, which Muhammadans believe to be always damp and to possess miraculous healing powers; sufferers put their finger into the hole and afterwards apply it to the afflicted part of their bodies, in the hope of a miraculous cure.

Behind the Sultan’s private box

On the western side of the church, and behind the Sultan’s private box, is the Cold Window, so called from the cool wind which always blows through it; it is considered a place of exceptional sanctity, having been the spot whence the celebrated Sheik Ak-Shems-ed-Din, who accompanied the Conqueror, first preached the Koran in St. Sophia. In one of the windows in the western gallery is a translucent stone, called the Shining Stone. The two immense tapers, one on each side of the Mihrab, are only lighted during Ramazan, and are literally columns of wax. The inscription forming a pendant to the pulpit is a quotation from the Koran, and is a masterpiece of ornamental writing; it is the work of Sultan Mahmud II.

Despite the removal of most of the emblems of Christianity and the addition of those of Islamism, the interior of St. Sophia cannot be said to have much changed by its conversion into a mosque; but the addition of towers, walls, minarets, and other structures outside, has altered the exterior appearance of the building almost beyond recogni-tion. The four minarets are the work of different Sultans: that at the south-east corner is the oldest, having been erected by Muhammad II.; it is of different shape from the others; that at the northeast comer was built by Selim II., and those on the western side by Murat III.

Church of St. Irene (HarbiehAmbari = armoury), now used as a museum of ancient arms. Admission by imperial warrant. It is situated in the Old Seraglio grounds guided tours istanbul, and was never converted into a mosque. It was built by Constantine the Great on the site of the heathen temple erected to Irene (Elptfvrj), or Peace, and named after the fane it superseded, and has no connection with St. Irene, the Christian martyr. It was burnt down in 532 A.D. during the Nika riot, and rebuilt by Justinian. This church is in a fair state of preservation, though it suffered considerably during the earthquakes of 1894. The ornamentation is simple in character. According to most authorities the church of St. Irene was the place where the second General Council met in 381 A.D., during the reign of Theodosius the Great, and proclaimed the Nicene doctrine of the Trinity against the followers of Macedonius.

Christian union

It is, however, curious to note that this building, which was once the scene of this Christian union, has now been chosen, as if by the irony of fate, as a museum of objects of strife, and is crowded with ancient arms and armour, modern weapons, and trophies. Most interesting among these are the sword of Muhammad II.; that of Scanderbey; an armlet of Tamerlane; the gold and silver keys of numerous conquered cities, and more ancient tokens of surrender in the form of little bags of earth; and two standards, said to have been those of Ali, bearing three double-edged swords on a red field. The collection also contains a large quantity of chain- mail, some fine Circassian helmets, and numerous red and green banners and flags.

The Church of SS. Sergius and Bacchus, called Kutchuk Ayiah Sofia (St. Sophia the less) by the Turks, from the beauty of its columns and ornamentation, lies behind the Hippodrome, close to the railway line, and near the Marmora sea – shore. Admission 5 piastres per head. It was built in 527 A.D. by Justinian in the vicinity of the palace of Hormisdas, where he resided prior to his accession to the throne. According to tradition the church was erected and dedicated to these two saints by Justinian as a thanksgiving offering, for having, in reponse to his prayers, appeared in a dream to his predecessor, the Emperor Anastasius, and induced that monarch to release him from prison, where he had been cast with hie uncle Justin I. for alleged conspiracy against the throne. Justinian is said to have devoted all his private fortune to the endowment of this church. The building is nearly square, being 109 feet by 92 feet exclusive of the apse.