A Visit to the Holy Land, Egypt, and Italy

Galata-The Bazaar at Constantinople-Mosques-Slave-market-The old Serail-The Hippo

rated burying-place of the Turks, in order that I might

he "Leander's Tower," which stands in the sea, a few hundred paces from the Asiatic coast, a

of the globe. Now, and not till now, I seemed separated by an immeasurable distance from my home. Afterwa

ted him in his righteous anger. And here in Asia it was that the Son of God came on earth to bring the boon of redemption to fallen man. My long and warmly-cherished wish to tread this most w

re, therefore, the Mahometan feels himself at home, and worthy of his Prophet. The cemetery is the grandest in the world. One may wander for hours through this grove of cypres

hose at Pera. The great barracks, on a height in the foreground, present a splendid appearance, and also afford a delicious view

LING DE

s ceremony; it is not requisite that he should have attained to the rank and dignity of a dervish. Even children

forming the circle join in, and scream in concert. For the first hour some degree of order is still preserved; the performers rest frequently to husband their strength, which will be exerted to the utmost at the close of the ceremony. But then the sight becomes as horrible as one can well imagine any thing. They vie

ir heads, and gradually take off all their clothes, with the exception of shirt and trousers. The two high priests who stand within the circle receive the garments one after another, kiss them, and lay them on a heap together. The priests beat time with their hands, and a

ests and a few from the circle hurried towards him, stretched him

apoplexy. To our surprise and joy, however, we saw him about six or eight minutes afterwards sudde

have fancied myself among raving lunatics and men possessed, rather than amidst reasonable beings. It was long before I could recover my composure, and realise the

thence; the traveller should see it, if he be not too much pressed for time. This is the p

cted to commemorate the remarkable event. The whole space is thus covered with a number of these monuments, most of them broken and weather-stained, and all scattered in th

WER IN

near Pera, or the Serasker in Constantinople. According to my notion, the former course is preferable. In this tower there is a

Golden Horn, the continual bustle on the sea, the immense fleet, besides the numerous ships of other nations, the crowds of people in Pera, Galata, and Topana-all unite to form a panorama of singular beauty. The richest fancy would fail in

home. I think I may affirm that no spot in the world can present such a view, or any thing that can be compared with it. I found how right I had been in undertaking this journey in preference to any other. Here another world lie

BA

the Golden Horn. The streets of the town are rather better paved than those of Pera. In the bazaars

eceive light from above. Every article of merchandise has its peculiar alley. In one all the goldsmiths have thei

treasures, even when they notice that the person to whom they are shewing them does not intend to become a purchaser. I had, however, imagined the display of goods to be much more varied and magnificent than I found it; but the reason of this apparent poverty is that the true treasures of ar

rs. A degree of magnificence is displayed in their shops such as a stranger would scarcely expect to see. There are slippers wh

step aside to allow a carriage or a horseman to pass. But the bazaars and baths are the lounges and gossiping places of the Turkish women. Under the pretence of bath

MOSQ

is frequently sufficiently acute to inquire in the different hotels if there are any guests who wish to visit the mosques. Each person who is desirous of doing so gives four or five colonati {54} to the guide, who t

Constantinople without first seeing the four wonder-mosque

a very trifling sum; I think I should regret it to t

cupolas. The interior is always empty, with the exception of a few large chandeliers placed at intervals, and furnished with a large number of perfectly plain glass lamps. The marble floors a

d with slabs of marble, and kept scrupulously clean. In the midst stands a fountain, at which the Mussulman washes his hands, his face, and his feet, before e

ome, is surrounded by six minarets. Most of

ally useful measure is the erection of numerous fountains of clear good water. This is the more welcome when we remember that the Turkish religion forbids the use of all spirituous liquors. At many of these fountains servants are stationed, whose only duty is to keep ten or twelve goblets of shining brass co

the Osmanije

E-MA

found them not half so forlorn and neglected as we Europeans are accustomed to imagine! I saw around me friendly smiling faces, from t

the slaves live. By day they may walk about in the yard, p

linen sheet, which is wrapped round them, or some light garment. Even this they are obliged to take off when a purchaser appears. So long as they are in the hands of the dealers, they are certainly not kept in very good style; so they all look forward with great joy to the prospect of getting a master. When they are once purchased, their fate is generally fa

OLD

s, kiosks, and summer-houses, surrounded with plantains and cypress-trees, the latter half hidden amid gardens and arbours. Everywhere there is a total want of symmetry and taste. I saw something of the garden, walked through the first and second courtyard, and even peeped into the third. In the last two yards the buildings are remarkable for the num

did not possess sufficient interest to obtain a view of it. At a late

HIPP

red with hieroglyphics, are the only ornaments of this place. The houses surrounding it are built, according to the general fashion, of wood, and painted with oil-colou

flight of thirty or forty steps into the depths of one of these cisterns, the roof of which is supported by three hundred pillars. This cistern is no longer filled with water, but serves as a workshop for silk-spinners. The place seems almost as

tend from Belgrade to the "Sweet Waters," a distance of about fourteen m

USES-STOR

in Giurgewo and Galatz; but in this imperial town I had fancied I should find them somewhat neater and more ornamental. But this delusion vanished as soon as I entered the first coffee-house. A wretchedly dirty room, in which Turks, Greeks, Armenians, and others sat cross-legged on divans, smoking and drin

circle, and the narrator stands in the foreground, and quietly begins a tale from the Thousand and One Nights; but as he cont

is only to be had in the coffee-houses of the Franks, or of Christian confectioners. All coffee-house keepers are obliged to buy their coffee ready burnt and ground from the government, the monopoly of this article being an imperial privi

the traveller's

ION TO

and also the place where the richest

ich repose the wives, children, and nearest relations of Ejub. Hard by the mosque we find a beautiful fountain of white marble, surrounded by a railing of gilded iron, and furnished with twelve bright drinking-cups of polished brass. A Turk here is appointed expressly to hand these to the passers-by. A little crooked garden occupies the space behind the mosque. The mosques in which the dead sultans are deposited are all built in the same manner as that of Ejub. Instead of the turban, handsome fez-caps, with the heron's feather, lie on the coffins. Among the finest mosques is that in

rth. And this is as it should be. Why should the pomp and extravagance of man accompany him to his last resting-place? Were it not well if in this matter we abated something of our conventionality and ostentation? I do not mean to say that interments need be stripped of every thing like ornament; in all things the middle way is the safest. A simple funeral has surely in it more that

HEATRES-

n breadth; and yet rents are very high. The reason of this is to be found in the continual danger of fire to which all towns built of wood are exposed. Every proprietor of a house calculates that he may be burnt out in the

ing four representations every week. Operas of the most celebrated masters were here to be heard; but I attended one representation, and had quite enoug

one who drives out takes carpets or bolsters with him, spreads them out inside the coach, and sits down cross-legged. A carriage of this description will hold four persons. The second species of carriage only differs from that already described in having still higher wheels, and consisting of a kind of square box, covered in at the top, but open on all sides. The passengers enter at the back, and there is generally room for eight persons

any other city. These men are agile and very strong; a porter often bears a load of from one hundred to a hundred and fifty pounds through the rugged hilly