CHAP. II. of the interior of the Seraglio would be satisfactory, from the secluded nature of the objects to which it bears reference, and the little probability there is of so favourable an opportunity being again granted, to any traveller, for its investigation. CHAPTER II. Procession of the Grand Signior, at the opening of the Bairam. CONSTANTINOPLE. Procession of the Grand Signior, at the Opening of the Bairam-Observations on the Church of St. SophiaOther Mosques of Constantinople-Dance of the Dervishes-Howling Dervishes-Cursory Observations-Bazar of the Booksellers-Greek Manuscripts-Exercises of the Athleta-Hippodrome-Obelisk-Delphic Pillar. NE of the great sights in Constantinople is the Procession of the Grand Signior, when he goes from the Seraglio to one of the principal mosques of the city. At the opening of the Bairam, this ceremony is attended with more than ordinary magnificence. We were present upon that occasion; and although a detail of the procession may seem unnecessary to some readers, to many it will, perhaps, be interesting. Our ambassador invited us, on the preceding evening, to be at the British palace before sun-rise as the procession was to take place the moment the sun appeared. We were punctual in our attendance; and being conveyed, with the ladies of the ambassador's family,and many persons attached to the embassy, in the small boats which ply at Tophana, landed in Constantinople; and were all stationed within the stall of a blacksmith's shop, which looked into one of the dirty narrow streets near the Hippodrome, through which the procession was to pass. It was amusing to see the Representative of the King of Great Britain, with his family and friends, squatted upon little stools, among horse-shoes, an vils, old iron, and horse dung. Upon his first arrival, some CHAP. II. cats, taking alarm, brought down a considerable portion of the tiling from the roof; and this, as it embarrassed his party, excited the laughter of the Turks in the neighbourhood, who seemed much amused with the humiliating figure presented by the groupe of Infidels in the smithy. We had not been long in this situation, before the Janissaries, with their large felt caps and white staves, ranged themselves on each side of the street leading to the mosque; forming an extensive line of sallow-looking objects, as novel to an Englishman's eye as any in the Turkish empire. About a quarter of an hour before the procession began, the Imam, or High-Priest, passed, with his attendants, to the mosque, to receive the Sultan. They were in four covered waggons, followed by twenty priests on horseback. The procession then began, and continued, according to the following order: Procession of the GRAND SIGNIOR, at the opening of the Bairam. 1. A Bostanghy, [The Bostanghies were originally gardeners of the Seraglio, but are now the Sultan's body-guard. Their number amounts to several thousands.] on foot, bearing a wand.-2. Four BALTAGHIES, or Cooks of the Seraglio.-3. Fifteen ZAIM, or Messengers of State.-4. Thirteen of the CHIAOUX, or Constables, with embroidered turbans. -5. A party of Servants of the Seraglio.-6. Thirty CAPIGHY BASHIES; or Porters of the Seraglio, in high white caps, and robes of flowered satin; flanked by Baltaghies, or Cooks, on each side, who were on horseback, with wands.-7. Baltaghies, on foot, with caps of a conical form, and white wands.-8. Fourteen ditto, more richly dressed, and mounted on superb horses.-9. Other Baltaghies, on foot.-10. Ten of the High Constables, on horseback.-11. Forty Servants, on foot.-12. The TEFTINDAG!, or Financier of the Realm, on horseback, most magnificently caparisoned. -13. Forty Servants, on foot.-14. The REIS EFFENDY, or Prime Minister, in a rich green pelisse, on a magnificent charger with most sumptuous housings, &c.-15. Twenty Servants.-16. The great body of the Chiaoux, or Constables, with magnificent dresses, and plumes on their beads.-17. The COLONEL of the JANISSARIES, with a helmet covered by enormous plumes.-18. A party of Fifty Constables of the Army, in full uniform, with embroidered turbans.-19. Ten beautiful Arabian Led Horses, covered with the most costly trappings.-20. The CAPUDAN PACHA, on one of the finest horses covered with jewelled housings, in a rich green pelisse lined with dark fur, and a white turban.-21. Bostan- ' ghies, on foot, with white wands.-22. Ten Porters belonging to the Grand Vizier.—23. The KAIMAKAN, on horseback, as Representative of the Grand Vizier, in a rich crimson pelisse lined with dark fur, and ac. companied by the appendages of office.-24. Twenty servants, on foot, CHAP. II. bearing different articles.-25. Twenty of the Grooms of State, on horseback, followed by slaves.-26. The MASTER of the HORSE, in embroidered satin robes.-27. Servants on foot.-28. The Deputy Master of the Horse, in robes of embroidered satin.-29. Servants on foot.-30. Inferior Chamberlains of the Seraglio, on horseback.-31. Bostanghies, with white wands, on foot.-32. The Sumpter-Horses of the Sultan, laden with the antient Armour taken from the Church of St. Irene in the Seraglio; among which were antient Grecian bucklers and shields, magnificent. ly embossed, and studded with gems.-33. Forty Bostanghies, bearing two turbans of State, flanked, on each side, by Porters.-34. An Officer with a bottle of water.-35. Fifteen Bostanghies, in burnished helmets, bearing two stools of State, flanked on each side by Porters.-36. The GRAND CHAMBERLAIN, most sumptuously mounted.-37. Bostanghies, in burnished helmets covered by very high plumes.-38. Lofty waving Plumes, supported by Chamberlains on foot.-39. THE GRAND SIGNIOR, on a beautiful managed Arabian horse, covered with jewels and embroidery, in a scarlet pelisse lined with dark fur, and a white turban; flanked, on each side, by tall Plumes, supported by Chamberlains.-40. Lofty waving Plumes, supported by Chamberlains on foot.-41. Slaves of the Seraglio, in black satin, having poignards in their girdles, whose handles were studded with pearls.-42. Bostanghies, on foot.-45. The SELIKTAR AGHA, or Sword-bearer of State, carrying a magnificent sabre.-44. Party of Attendants, on foot.-45. The AGNATOR AGHA, or High Chamberlain, on horseback, scattering paras, the small coin of the empire, among the people.-46. Party of Attendants, on foot.-47. The KISLAR AGHA, or Chief of the Black Eunuchs, on horseback, making his salaams to the people, and flanked, on each side, by a party of Bostanghies,-48. Other Officers of the Seraglio, on horseback.-49. The SECRETARY Of STATE, on horseback, bearing the Grand Signior's embroidered leathern porte-feuille.-50. A Party of Attendants.-51. The CHANNATOR AGHA, or second of the Black Eunuchs, on horseback.-52. Party of Attendants. 53. The Inferior Black Eunuchs of the Seraglio.-54. Attendants. --55. The TREASURER of STATE.-56. Black Eunuchs.-57, The CAIVEGHY BASHY, or Coffee-bearer of the Grand Signior.-58. Two Turbans of State, on Sumpter-horses.-59. Party of Black Eunuchs, in very magnificent dresses.-60. Officers of the Seraglio; followed by a numerous suite of Attendants, some of whom were leading painted mules, carrying carpets and various utensils. Afterwards, the procession returned in the same manner, although not with the same degree of regularity. When the ceremony concluded, the Grand Signior, accompanied by the principal officers of State, went to exhibit himself in a kiosk, or tent, near the Seraglio Point, sitting on a sofa of silver. We were enabled to view this singular instance of parade, from a boat stationed near the place; and, after the Sultan retired, were permitted to examine the splendid pageant brought out for the occasion. It was a very large wooden couch, covered with thick plates of massive silver, highly burnished. I have little doubt, CHAP. II. from the form of it, as well as from the style in which it was ornamented, that this also constituted a part of the treasury of the Greek Emperors, when Constantinople was taken from the Turks. Among the misrepresentations made to strangers who visit Constantinople, they are told that it is necessary to be attended by a Janissary, in the streets of the city. In the first place, this is not true: in the second, it is the most imprudent plan a traveller can adopt. It makes a public display of want of confidence in the people; and, moreover, gives rise to continual dispute, when any thing is to be purchased of the Turks; besides augmenting the price of any article required, exactly in the proportion of the sum privately exacted by the Janissary, as his share of the profit. Another misrepresentation is, that a firmán from the Grand Signior is requisite to gain admission to the Mosque of St. Sophia; whereas, by giving eight piastres to the person whose business it is to shew the building, it may be seen at any time(25). X of St. Sophia. The architectural merits of St. Sophia and St. Peter's Observations have been often relatively discussed; yet they reasonably on the Church enter into no comparison. No accounts have been more exaggerated than those which refer to the former, whose gloomy appearance is well suited to the ideas we entertain of its present abject and depraved state. In the time of Procopius, its dome might have seemed suspended by a chain from heaven; but at present, it exhibits much more of a subterranean, than of an aërial character; neither does it seem consistent with the perfection of an edifice intended to elevate the mind, that the entrance should be by a descent, as into a cellar. The approach to the Pantheon at Rome, as well as to the spacious aisle and dome of St. Peter's, is by ascending; but, in order to get beneath the dome of St. Sophia, the spectator is conducted down a long flight of stairs. I visited it several times, and always with the same impression. There, is moreover, a littleness and confused Gothic barbarism in the disposition of the parts which connect the dome with the foundation; and in its present state, it is bolstered on the outside with heavy buttresses, like those of a bridge. Mosaic work remains CHAP. II. very entire in many parts of the interior. The dome seems to have been adorned with an uniform coating of gilded tesseræ, which the Turks are constantly removing for sale; attaching superstitious virtues to those loose fragments of Mosaic, from the eagerness with which strangers strive to procure them. In the great arch, opposite to the principal entrance, the Mosaic is coloured, and represents the figures of Saints, of the Virgin, and groupes of enormous wings without bodies. I copied a few letters of an Inscription in that part of the building, which were beyond all doubt coeval with the edifice itself; and therefore, although they offer a very imperfect legend, it is proper they should be preserved; nothing of the kind having hitherto been noticed in St. Sophia. OCKAIXPYCOY TAAANTAGEOK The engravings published by Banduri (26), from drawings by Grelot, added to his own description, afford so accurate a representation of this building, that any further account of it would be superfluous. Many absurd stories have been circulated concerning the contents of the small chapels once used as oratories, the doors of which are seen in the walls of the galleries. Great interest was making, while we remained in Constantinople, to have these chambers examined. A little gold soon opened all the locks; and we scrutinized not only the interior of these apartments, but also every other part of the building. They were all empty, and only remarkable for the Mosaic work which covered the ceilings. Some of the doors were merely openings to passages, which conducted to the leads and upper parts of the building; these were also either empty, or filled with mortar, dust, and rubbish. Still more absurd is the pretended phosphoric light, said to issue from a mass of lapis lazuli in one of the gallery walls. This marvellous phænomenon was pointed out by our guide, who consented, for a small bribe, to have the whole trick exposed. It is nothing more than a common slab of marble, which, being thin, and almost worn through, transmits a feeble light, from the exterior, to a |