A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 2 · Body of volume 2 · Section 2
Hiſtorical Obſervations relating to Conſtantinople. By the Reverend and Learned Tho. Smith, D.D. Fellow of Magd. Coll. Oxon, and of the Royal Society.
COnſtantinople, formerly Byzantium, was (a)foreign. So the Emperour Conſtantine in a Letter to Euſebius, de Vita Conſtantini, lib. IV. cap. 39. & a…ud Theodoritum Histor. Eccleſ. lib. 1. cap. 16. v. etiam Socrat. Scholast. Hist. Eccleſ. lib. 1. cap. 16.by Conſtantine the Great called ſo after his own Name, who being mightily pleaſed with the beautiful and advantagious ſituation of the place between two Seas, and defended by narrow ſtreights on both ſides, removed the Seat of the Empire hither, and laid the foundation of its future ſplendor and greatneſs. It was alſo by a (b)V. Socratem ibidem. Et Theophanem in Chronographia XXV. anno Constantini.ſpecial Edict or Law of the ſame Emperor, which he cauſed to be engraven on a Marble Pillar, placed near his own Statue on Horſeback, in one of the Piazza's of his new-built City called Strategium, where the Souldiers uſed to muſter, as in the Campus Martius, called Second or New Rome, in emulation of old Rome, which he deſigned and endeavoured this ſhould equal in all things. Accordingly he endowed it with the ſame Privileges and Immunities, and eſtabliſh'd the ſame number of Magiſtrates, and Orders of People, and divided the whole extent of it into fourteen Precincts or (c)The Itallan word Rione is a manifeſt corruption of the Latin word.Regions, according to the diviſion of Rome. And the Greek Writers were as elegant and extravagant in their commendations of it; but the uſual Title in their ordinary Diſcourſes and Writings, when they had occaſion to mention it without any flouriſh, was foreign, or foreign, that is, the Imperial City, to the ſame ſenſe with that of (d)In Panegyrico, quem Romae dixit Anthemio Augusto, bis conſu…i.Sidonius Apollinaris.
Salve ſceptrorum columen, Regina orientis,
Orbis Roma tui.
The Country about it was afterwards called Romania in a limited and reſtrained ſenſe, (for that Romania was anciently the ſame with Orbis Romanus, ſeems clear from (e)Hoereſi LXIX. quae eſt Arianorum. Sect. 2. where he ſays a ſad diſmal fire was kindled by Arius: foreign, which ſeized almoſt upon all Romania, or Ʋniverſum Romanorum Imperium, as Petavius renders it, but eſpecially the Eaſtern parts of it.Epiphanius) and the People foreign. But I ſuppoſe this was not done till about the middle times of the Empire, when it began to decline. The Greeks ſtill retain this name: For if you ask any of the Greeks born upon the Continent of Thrace what Countryman he is, he anſwers forthwith, foreign, Romios, for ſo they pronounce it. The Turks in like manner call a Greek Chriſtian Urum Gaour, or the Roman Infidel, as they will call ſometimes the Emperour of Germany, Urumler Padiſha, or Emperor of the Romans. Hence it was that the latter Graecian Emperors ſtiled themſelves foreign, Kings of the Romans, that is, ſuch as were born in Romania, and the other Countries, which made up the Eaſtern Diviſion of the Empire. Though perchance by this flouriſhing Title they pretended a right to the Government of the Weſt; upon which vain preſumption they aſſumed alſo the Title of foreign, or Emperors of the World, as if they had been true Succeſſors of Auguſtus, and the Weſtern Emperors, Uſurpers, whom they called by way of contempt and indignation, foreign, Reges, as (f)Pag. 144, 152, 155.Luitprandus informs us in the accompt of his Ambaſſy to Nicephorus Phocas, and afforded the People of Italy no other Title than that of (g)Pag. 139.Longobards or Lombards. The preſent Greeks call all the Weſtern Chriſtians foreign or foreign, Latins or Franks, the Turks only making uſe of the latter, when they ſpeak civilly of us, and calling Chriſtendom Phrenkiſtan, in the preſent Greek foreign. The Turks now as proudly call Conſtantinople Alempena, or the Refuge of the World; where indeed ſeems to be a medly of all or moſt Nations of three parts of it, and of all Religions, which are allowed to be publickly profeſt and exerciſed every where throughout the Empire, except the Perſian. For they look upon it as a corruption of, and deviation from the Rules and Doctrine of Mahomet, their great falſe Prophet, and therefore abſolutely forbid it, as repugnant to, and deſtructive of the Doctrine of Life and Salvation, as they ſpeak. And accordingly they condemn with all imaginable fury the Profeſſors of it, who pretend to follow Ali, as Sectaries and Apoſtates, and entertain worſe Opinions of them, than of Chriſtians, or Jews, or Infidels. The Perſians are not behind-hand with them in their Hatred and Diſreſpect, deriding them as groſs and ſtupid, and looking upon them as little leſs than barbarous: Intereſt and Zeal for their ſeveral Tenents heightening their Differences ſo much, that in time of War they deſtroy one anothers Moſchs. I remember, that there was a great Diſcourſe in Conſtantinople among the Turks, concerning an impudent hot-headed Perſian, who publickly in the new Moſch, built by the Mother of the preſent Emperor, aſſerted that Ali was equal to Mahomet. But it ſeems he very luckily made his eſcape out of their hands, at which the Prieſts and the more zealous Turks were very much ſcandalized.
The Greeks have twenty ſix Churches within the walls of the City, beſides ſix in Galata, of which I have given an account elſewhere. They have alſo two Churches at Scutari, one at Kadikui or Chalcedon. So at Stauroſis, Chingilkui, and ſeveral other Villages upon the Aſian ſhore of the Boſphorus, as at Beſhictaſh, Ortakui, Chorouch cheſme, which Church is dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel, Jenikui or Neochorion, Therapia, Bujukdere, and other Villages on the Europaean ſide. They have alſo a Church at Haskui, where is their Burying-place, and another near the Bagno, dedicated to St. Paraſceve. And at Tatoula about a mile from Pera, upon a Hill, which from the Name of the Church is thence called by the Greeks and Franks, St. Demetrius's Hill. Next to the holy Virgin, St. Demetrius and St. George have moſt Churches dedicated to them.
The Armenians have not, if I remember aright, above ſeven Churches, they being few in number in compariſon of the Greeks.
The Jews may have in the City and places adjacent between twenty and thirty Synagogues, this being the greateſt ſhelter of that accurſed and contemptible People in the Grand Signior's Dominions, next to Caire and Saloniki; and I believe there may be about twenty or thirty thouſand Families of them. They are of great uſe and ſervice to the Turks, upon account of their Brocage and Merchandiſe, and Induſtry in ſeveral mechanical Trades. All theſe I look upon as Natives, or Slaves rather, each paying Money for his Head every year. The Jews indeed very wiſely collect this tax among themſelves, and according to an Agreement made with the Tefterdar or Treaſurer, pay a certain ſum in groſs for their whole Nation reſiding there; by which piece of cunning they are great gainers, and ſpare the Poor among them leſs able to pay, by a contribution of the Rich to make up the ſum. The Engliſh and Dutch Ambaſſadors have their Chappels in their Palaces common to their reſpective Nations.
The Churches and Chappels of the Weſtern Chriſtians of the Roman Communion in Galata, are
St. Peter's, belonging to the Dominicans, where is the famous piece of Madonna di Conſtantinopoli, as the Italians call it, or of the bleſſed Virgin, holding the holy Child Jeſus in her Arms; which they pretend to be drawn by the hand of St. Luke, celebrated by ſome of the latter Eccleſiaſtical Writers to have been a famous Painter. Out of reſpect to this idle Tradition, the credulous and ſuperſtitious Latines and Greeks of the Roman Communion ſhew great veneration to it, which otherwiſe hath little in it of Proportion, Art, or Beauty to derive any Reputation upon the deſigner, or upon his Work.
St. Francis, belonging to the Conventuali, Fryars of the Order of St. Francis: the ground of this by the wiſe Conduct and Interceſſion of Cavaliere Molino, the Venetian Bailo, after the ſurrendry of Candia, upon the Peace made by the Republick with the Grand Signior, was procured to be reſtored, and a handſome Church rebuilt, with the large Contributions of Money ſent out of Chriſtendome.
St. Benedict, belonging to the Jeſuits, where is a rich Altar curiouſly adorn'd with ſeveral Figures in Moſaick. This Convent was purchaſed for them by their great Benefactor, Henry the Fourth of France.
St. Mary, belonging to the Obſervantines or Zoccolanti, a branch of the Order of St. Francis, ſo called from their going in Zoccoli or wooden Clogs.
The Capucines have a little Chappel dedicated to St. George, hard by the French Ambaſſador's Palace.
St. Ann, a Chappel frequented by the Perots.
St. Paul and St. Anthony were both taken away ſome years ſince from the Chriſtians, and turned into Moſchs. The former of which is now known by the name of Arab Giameſi, or the Moſch of the Arabians. Our Interpreters mentioned alſo to me the Church of St. John, which the Turks have ſeized upon for their uſe, St. George, which the Jews are poſſeſt of, and St. Sebaſtian, which was uſed to be viſited chiefly on Holy-days.
The North Wind blows for the moſt part at Conſtantinople, which muſt be aſcribed to its nearneſs to the Euxine Sea, which bears that point from it. So that for want of a Southwardly Wind, Ships have been forced to lye a month or two ſometimes near the month of the Helleſpont; this was taken notice of long ſince by Eunapia…, in the Life of Aedeſius who aſcribes the ſeldom blowing of the South Wind to the ſituation of the Mountains, whereas it is checked and overpowered by the exuberance of the Vapors continually ſent forth from the black and great Sea, as the Greeks call it in compariſon of the Mediterranean. Vide ad finem Codini de Origin. Conſtantinopol. Edit. Pariſ. pag. 80.
The Helleſpont is about forty miles in length, and at the Caſtles of Seſtos and Abydos the ſtreight may be about three quarters of an Engliſh mile over, or leſs.
The length of the Propontis is about a hundred and fifty miles, both Shores may be ſeen in the middle of it. In it are
Cyzicus, an Iſland near the Aſian Shore, to which it is joyned by two Bridges. It ſtill retains its ancient name foreign, and is the Seat of a Biſhop, being inhabited by a conſiderable number of Greeks.
Proconneſus, not far from the former; now, as for ſome Centuries paſt, called Marmora, from the excellent Quarries of Marble there found, the Marmor Cyzenicum alſo being famous in the time of Pliny.
Besbycus, now called by the Greek foreign, or the Good Haven, not far from the entrance into the Bay of Montanea to the North-and-by-Eaſt; the Turks call it Imramle.
There are ſeveral Iſlands over againſt the Bay of Nicomedia; formerly called Sinus Aſtacenus, according to Strabo, about ſix or ſeven leagues from Conſtantinople (g)V. Gillium de Boſp. Thraecii, l. 111. c. 12. &c..
Prote, ſo called becauſe they approach firſt to it, coming from Conſtantinople, to the South of this Prencipe and Pytis, which I take to be the ſame with Pyrgos, that lies inmoſt toward the Bay: Chalcitis, in modern Greek Chalce or Chalcis. Oxia and Platy to the North-weſt. I have expreſſed the Turkiſh names of the leſſer and uninhabited Iſlands elſewhere, which perchance were fantaſtically impoſed by ſome Franks.
The Seraglio is at the extream point of the North-eaſt Angle of Conſtantinople, where formerly ſtood old Byzantium, within which, towards the Haven is a ſtately Kiosk, or Summer-houſe, from whence the Grand Signior uſually takes Barge, when he paſſes into Aſia, or diverts himſelf upon the Boſphorus, at which time the Boſtangi baſhi, who hath the principal care of the Emperor's Palace, and hath the command of the Boſphorus, ſits at the Helm and ſteers.
The ſeven Towers are at the South-eaſt Extremity.
The only Suburbs are to the North-weſt, along the Haven-ſide; for above the Hill, where the three Walls begin, lies an open Champaign-country, except that here and there at conſiderable diſtances Farm-houſes are ſcattered.
The Haven runs in from the Weſt, and ſo opens Eaſt.
At the Eaſt end of Galata is Tophana, where they caſt their great Guns.
Pera and Galata have about ſix Gates to the Seaward. The whole tract of Ground was anciently, before the times of the Emperor Valentinian, who encloſed and fortified Galata with Walls and Towers, ſtiled foreign, on the other ſide of the City to the North; which is the reaſon of its Name, ſeated on higher Hills, and whoſe aſcent is more ſteep and difficult.
Our modern Geographers, ſuch as Mercator and Ortelius, who herein follow Ptolemy, place Conſtantinople in the Latitude of 43 degrees and 5 minutes: the Arabian and Perſian Aſtronomers, as Abulfeda, Naſſir Eddin, Vlugh Beigh, and ſo the foreign of Chryſococcas, tranſlated out of the Perſian Tables, place it more Northerly in 45. But by latter and better obſervation it is found, that they have erred in aſſigning the Latitude of this City, as of ſeveral other places. To ſalve theſe differences, there is no juſt ground of pretence to ſay, that the Poles are moveable, and have changed their ſituation ſince their time; whereas it may better be imputed to their want of due Care, or to their taking things upon truſt, from the Reports of Travellers and Seamen, not having been upon the places themſelves; which certainly is to be ſaid for Ptolemy, whoſe Obſervations, as to places more remote from Alexandria, are far from being accurate and true. The learned Mr. John Greaves, as I find in a manuſcript Diſcourſe, very worthy of being printed, which he preſented to the moſt Reverend and Renowned Archbiſhop Uſher, took the height of the Pole at Conſtantinople, with a braſs Sextant of above 4 feet radius, and found it to be but 41 degrees 6′, but by the Obſervation we made in our Court-yard at Pera with a good Quadrant, we found but 40 degrees and 58 minutes of North Latitude.
There is no place between the Propontis and the Walls of the City, except juſt at the Seraglio point, which may be two hundred paces in length, where they have raiſed on a Platform a Battery for great Guns; but from the point to the end of the Haven Weſt, the ſpace to the Gates is unequal in ſome places about twenty paces broad, in others three or four times as many more.
The diſtance between Conſtantinople and Chalcedon, upon the oppoſite Bithynian ſhore, may be about three or four miles.
In the Walls are engraven the Names of ſeveral Emperors, who reigned toward the declenſion of the Graecian Empire, as Theophilus, Michael, Baſilius, Conſtantinus Porphyrogenitus, by whoſe care, and at whoſe expence the ſeveral Breaches cauſed in them, by the Sea, or by Earth-quakes, were repaired.
Kumkapi, or the Sand-gate, lies toward the Propontis; this the Greeks call in their vulgar Language foreign, Contoſcalium, of the little Scale or Landing-place. Here formerly was an Arſenal for Gallies and other …ll Veſſels, it being a convenient paſſage over …. Over this Gate was anciently engraven a curious Inſcription, ſtill preſerved in that excellent Collection publiſhed by (h)Pag. 169 Num. 3.Gruterus.
Jedicula Kapi, or the Gate of the ſeven towers, ſo called from its nearneſs to that Acropolis, is that, I gueſs, which the Greeks formerly called foreign, or the golden Gate, and by ſome late Latin Writers Chryſea, in Luitprandus, Carea, by a a miſtake either of the Tranſcriber or Printer, for Aurea, for ſo certainly it muſt be mended. Over this Gate was this Inſcription;
Haec loca Theudoſius decorat poſt fata Tyranni,
Aurea ſecla gerit, qui portam conſtruit auro.
cited by Sirmond, in his Notes upon (i)Pag. 121Sidonius. This Gate is in the twelfth Region, and was alſo called foreign, from its beautiful and curious Structure.
The Gun-gate, formerly called Roman-gate, not becauſe it leads towards the Continent of Romania or Thrace, but from (k)Vid. Historiam Politicam Constantinopoleos apud Cruſium in Turco-Graecia, pag. 9.St. Romanus, where the laſt Chriſtian Emperor was killed at the Aſſault, which the Turks made to force their way into the City by it.
Near Adrianople-gate is a fair large Moſch called Ali-baſſa, upon a hill accounted the higheſt in the City.
The diſtance between tower and tower in the upper wall to the landward, may be about ninety of my paces; the ſpace between that and the ſecond wall about eighteen paces over.
The place, where the Lyons, Leopards, and ſuch-like wild Creatures are kept, (where I ſaw alſo ſeveral Jackals) was formerly, as the Greeks told me, a Chriſtian Church dedicated to foreign or the Bleſſed Virgin, where this Verſe is ſtill legible: foreign.
There is no tide or running back of the Water on any ſide of the Boſphorus, into the black Sea, as (l)This was an old error: for thus writes Dionyſius Byzantinus, in his little book of the Boſphorus. foreign.ſome have imagined, whoſe miſtake might poſſibly ariſe hence, that the Wind being at North, and blowing hard, the Current ſets more violently at ſuch times againſt the ſeveral Headlands jetting out into the Channel, which admits of ſeveral turnings, and ſo the Waters are forced back to ſome little diſtance: or elſe becauſe when the South-wind freſhens and grows boiſterous, it makes a high rolling Sea in the Propontis and Boſphorus, and being contrary to the Current, gives a check to it, ſo that it becomes leſs ſenſible, and is eaſily ſtemmed. Where it is narroweſt, the diſtance ſeems to the Eye to be ſcarce a mile over from one ſhore to another; where broadeſt, not much above a mile and a half, unleſs where it runs into the deep Bays, which by reaſon of their ſhallowneſs only harbour Boats.
The Channel certainly is natural, and not cut by Art, as ſome have idly fancied, not conſidering how the Euxine Sea ſhould diſcharge it ſelf otherwiſe of thoſe great quantities of Waters, poured into it by the Iſter and Tanais, now called Don, and the other Rivers, whereby it becomes leſs Salt, even very ſenſibly to the taſte, than ſeveral parts of the Mediterranean.
The Fiſh, by a ſtrange kind of inſtinct, paſs in vaſt ſhoales twice a year, Autumn and Spring, through the Boſphorus, that is, out of one Sea into another; of which the Greeks, who live ſeveral months of the year upon them, take great numbers, and ſupply the Markets at eaſie rates; the Cormorants and other ravenous Water-fowl, which the Turks will not ſuffer to be deſtroy'd, or otherwiſe moleſted, preying alſo upon them.
The Weather in ſome months is very inconſtant, great Heats and Colds hapning the ſame day upon the change of the Wind.
The Winters at Conſtantinople are ſometimes extraordinary ſevere. I have heard it related by ſeveral old Greeks, as a thing moſt certain, that the Boſphorus was frozen over in the time of Achmed, and that a Hare was courſed over it. It hapned thus; that upon a thaw huge Cakes of Ice came floating down the Danube, into the black Sea, and were driven by the current into the Boſphorus, where, upon the return of the Froſt, they were fixed ſo hard, that it became paſſable. In the year 1669. there was Ice in the Haven, to the great amazement of the Turks; and ſome were ſo frighted at this unuſual Accident, that they look'd upon it as a diſmal Prodigy, and concluded that the World would be at an end that year. The Aguglia or Obelisk in the Hippodrome is betwixt fifty and ſixty foot high.
The Hiſtorical Pillar in baſſo relievo, raiſed in honour of the Emperors Arcadius and Honorius, may be in height about an hundred ſeven and forty feet.
Alexus Comnenus lies buried in the Patriarchal Church againſt the Wall, and his Daughter Anna Comnena, the Hiſtorian, who lived about the year of Chriſt 1117. They pretend to ſhew there the Relicks of St. Anaſtaſia, who ſuffered Martyrdom under the Emperor Valerianus, and of St. Euphemia, Virgin and Martyr, who loſt her life moſt gloriouſly for Chriſt's holy Religion at Chalcedon under Diocleſian.
In Sancta Sophia there are Pillars ſo great, that a man can ſcarce fathom them at twice. At the end of the Gallery that joyns the other two, each about thirty of my paces wide, there is a piece of tranſparent Marble, two or three inches thick. In the North Gallery, upon the Pavement is a reddiſh ſort of a Marble-ſtone, brought, as the Turks and Chriſtians relate, from Paleſtine, on which they fable, That the Bleſſed Virgin uſed to waſh the Linnen of our Saviour.
I obſerved but one Step from the Body of the Church to the Bema, or place where the Altar formerly ſtood.
The great Moſch at Chaſim-baſſa on Pera-ſide to the Weſt, was formerly a Church dedicated to St. Theodoſia.
Gianghir, a Moſch ſo called upon a Hill at Fondaclee near Tophana.
In Conſtantinople there are ſeveral narrow ſtreets of Trade, cloſed up with Sheds and Pent-houſes, which I ſuppoſe were in uſe before the Greeks loſt their Empire, and are the ſame with the foreign, in Chryſaloras's Epiſtle, p. 119. But beſides theſe places, ſeveral Trades have their diſtant quarters. The Streets are raiſed for the moſt part on each ſide for the greater convenience.
Not far from Suleimania is the Houſe of the Aga, or General of the Janizaries, which ſo often changes its maſters.
Pompey's Pillar, as the Franks erroneouſly call it, is of the Corinthian Order, curiouſly wrought, about eighteen foot in height, and three in diameter
Beſhiktaſh, a Village within three or four miles of Conſtantinople, towards the Boſphorus, where lies buried the famous Pyrate Ariadin, whom the Chriſtian Writers call Barbaroſſa, who built here a handſome Moſch, having two rows of Pillars at the entrance. The Captain Baſſa uſually, before he puts to Sea with his Armata of Gallies, viſits the Tomb of this fortunate Robber, who had made ſeveral thouſand Chriſtians Slaves, and makes his Prayers at the neighbouring Church for the good ſucceſs of his Expedition.
They reckon in the City above a hundred publick Baths, every Street almoſt affording one. They are eſteemed Works of great Piety and Charity, there being a continual uſe of them, not only upon the account of Religion, but of Health and Cleanlineſs: For their Dyet being for the moſt part hot ſpiced meats in the Winter, and crude Fruits in the Summer, their Liquor Fountain-water or Coffee, to which we may add their lazy kind of life (for walking is never uſed by them for digeſtion, or otherwiſe in the way of diverſion) frequent bathing becomes neceſſary.
There are ſeveral Receptacles of Water under Ground, and one particularly under the Church of Sancta Sophia, as I was informed; but I did not think it worth my Curioſity to deſcend into it. Theſe were of great uſe to the poor Greeks in the laſt fatal Siege; but the Turks are ſo ſecure, that they do not think that they deſerve either coſt or pains to keep the Waters ſweet, or the Ciſterns in repair.
The Aquaeducts, which anſwer to thoſe glorious Aquaeducts, near Pyrgos, and convey the Water to the great Ciſtern near Sultan Selim's Moſch, are in that part of Conſtantinople, which lies between the Moſch of Mahomet the Great and Sha zade.
The Turks began to beſiege Conſtantinople on the fifth of April, and took it the twenty ninth of May, on Whitſun-Tueſday morning, 1453. or as the Turks reckon in the year 857. of the Hegira, or flight of Mahomet, the 22d day of the firſt Jomad.
The Chappel, where Ejub Sultan is interred, at whoſe Head and Feet I obſerved great Wax Candles, is encloſed with latten wire grates, for the better accommodation of ſuch religious Turks, as come to pay their reſpect to the memory of this great Muſulman Saint. In the middle of the Area there is raiſed a Building ſuſtained by excellent Marble Pillars, aſcended by two ſeveral pair of ſtairs, where the new Emperor is inaugurated, and where he uſually goes in Biram time.