This peculiar harbour has always, by reason both of its form and its fulness, been called the Golden Horn. It is “like a stag’s horn,” Strabo says, “for it is broken into wavy creeks like so many branches, into which the fish pelamys (τryλoφt,υς) running is easily snared.” In former times this fish was, and at the present day might be, a source of rich revenue—ever from time immemorial rushing down from the Sea of Azoff and the Black Sea, and when it approaches the white rock, on which stands the Maiden’s (miscalled Leander’s) Tower, glancing off it, and shooting straight into the Horn, but never enriching the rival city on the coast of Asia—Chalcedon, “the City of the Blind.” If the figure of a stag’s horn resembles the harbour, that of an ancient drinking-horn would represent the general form of Constantinople proper—the Seraglio point being turned inward like the sculptured mouth-piece. On this knot the Megarian city stood gathered about its Acropolis, and occupying the easternmost hill on the verge of Europe. Constantine aimed at building his new capital, after the old, on seven hills; his wish was fulfilled—not at first, however, but a century after its dedication,—and he wished it to be in name, as in foundation, a counterpart of the ancient city. But it is the founder, not the model, that is commemorated in the name Constantinople, while its designation as “New Rome” lingers nowhere but in the official language of the Orthodox Eastern Church. Its Turkish name of Istamboul, ol ’ Stamboul, is said to be a corruption of the Greek words cìç r fqv About the end of the 18th century it was corrupted by a fanatical fancy into Islambol, or the city of Islam. Like the name, the emblem also of the city was adopted from the Greeks by the Ottomans. The crescent and star formed its device from the earliest times, and is found on Byzantine coins and on the statues of Hecate. So the body-guard of the Sultan retain insignia of the Varangian Guard of the Greek empire, of which traces seem to have been discovered in the Crimea. The sign manual of the sultans, rudely representing a left hand, originated with the action of a sultan who is said to have signed with a bloody hand a treaty with the republic of Ragusa.

Under Constantine, who founded it on the site of Byzantium (q.v.), the city was more than doubled. His forum was fixed on the second hill; the walls were extended till a new inclosure was made, which spanned the peninsula from about the end of the old bridge to the mouth of the River Lycus in Vlanga Bostan; the line of his walls was not direct, but made a compass round the Polyandrion, or Heroon. It is said that 40,000 Goths were employed in first raising and afterwards manning these works; the seven gates separated the eight cohorts, each of 5000 men. Being Arians, the Goths were allowed no room within the city which they made safe for the Orthodox, but had assigned to them a quarter outside, which was called, either from several columns or from the one of Constantine that stood thereabout, Exokionion (the region without the columns), and the Gothic inhabitants of the quarter were styled Exolcionitae. So noble was this body or guild accounted among their countrymen, that many illustrious Goths were enrolled in it,—with others, the kings of Italy. In the course of time, after Anastasius had drawn a longer line of defences higher up, from the neighbourhood of Lake Dercon on the Euxine to Selymbria on the Propontis, and many of the Gothic cohorts were called away to defend these fortifications, the meaning of the name was by degrees forgotten, until it was changed into Hexe-Kionia, or Hexe-Marmora (six marble columns); and at last this corrupt form was rendered literally by the new occupants in their tongue Alti-Mermer (six columns), which name remains to the present day. As this is a landmark showing the limit of Constantine’s walls on the south, another sign is extant bearing witness to their extent on the north. This is a mosque, once a church, which is visible from the Golden Horn. Its Turkish name, Kahireh, or Kahrieh, is thought to have been formed into a resemblance of that of the capital of Egypt from the Greek χωpα. The monastery to which this church of the Saviour belonged was 'Ni.ovη τrj<s χωρaς, or, as we say, “in the fields.” This was an ancient establishment, and its church, the oldest church in the city, dates from the 3d century. Hither were brought, and entombed in sarcophagi, the remains of St Babylas and two other martyrs who suffered under Decius in the persecution of 250 a.d. At the beginning of the 5th century the Goths, being pressed by Attila and his Huns out of their settlements below the Balkan, flocked towards Constantinople to join their countrymen there and find refuge in its suburbs. It then became necessary to entrench this extra-mural camp. Accordingly in 412, under Theodosius IL, the first Theodosian wall was raised by the prefect Anthemius; and in 447 a second was added by the prefect Cyrus Constantinus, who advanced the fosse, and of the earth dug out of it formed an artificial terrace between two lines of defence. The Goths were long subjected to exclusion from the city; Justinian exempted the Exocionites, indeed, from the penalties which he exacted from all other Arians in the empire, but required them still to meet for public worship outside the walls. Some monuments to members of the body of Faederati, found outside the fifth gate, and perhaps the name Cerco-porta, a memento of their round church, or one of their circular forts, may mark the residence, as they intimate the heresy, of the noble guards of the Greek emperor. Arianism had died out when this body was reinforced by the Varangians—Anglo-Danes—in the 11th century; accordingly, it is not surprising to recognize in a Byzantine church in a quarter called Bogdan-Serai, within the walls on the fifth hill, the church of St Nicholas and Augustine, founded by an Anglo-Saxon who fled from the Normans to take service under the Greek emperor. It is maintained that most of the numbers distinguishing the cohorts attached to the several regions and walls remain to this day, as Deuteron, Triton, Pempton, and Hebdomon. Upon the completion of these Theodosian walls there ensħed a double arrangement of gates; towngates, communicating with the public roads, alternated with military gates which opened upon the terraces only. These town-gates, to the number of seven, communicated with the seven gates of Constantine’s wall each by a broad street, which separated the cohorts and their quarters. These gates were opened in peace but shut in time of war, and then the bridges connecting them with the country roads and crossing the fosse in front were taken down at the approach of the enemy. The military gates had no such bridges leading from them; they served only to give egress to that part of the garrison which was required to work the engines of war planted upon the terraces outside and below. The city gates in the Theodosian walls had for the most part the same names as the gates in the wall of Constantine which corresponded to them—with this difference, that they were styled “New.” Thus the gate “Roussion,” so named from the “demus” of the “Reds,” in the latter, answered to the “New” Roussion in the former. It is on this accouut that the existing gate is to this day called Yeni Kapu (New gate) as well as Mevlanelι Kapusi (gate of the Dervishes). The gate of Adrianople (Edreneh Kapusi) was formerly that of Polyandrion, and took its title from the corresponding gate in the wall of Constantine, called so because it stood near the Polyandrion or Heroon adjoining it, which was attached to the church of the Holy Apostles; the site is now occupied by the mosque of Mahomet the Conqueror (Mehmedieh).

The landward walls of Constantinople bear marks of the labour of many hands, and represent different and distant epochs. Their construction is unique. If the outer defence of tûe fosse is reckoned they are quadruple; the two inner lines are furnished with a series of towers, the smaller below, the larger above—round, octagonal, or square—at about 150 feet apart. As the gaunt array of castles droops into the valley, or seems to climb the hill beyond, one may decipher some of its now obscure inscriptions on marble or in tile work (one seems to be a prayer to Christ), and wonder at the contrivance which appears to defy a natural law. The great ditch, now a productive vegetable garden, is divided into a number of compartments or open cisterns, which used to be filled with water brought by pipes, carried along each partition-wall, and furnishing the supply from cisterns from within and without the city.

Equally remarkable with these fortifications is the system of large cisterns, which are said to have furnished water to 1,000,000 men during four months; they were a necessity to a city subject to perpetual assault. One seems to have been annexed to every considerable monastery and palace— imperial and patrician. They may be reckoned the more ancient portion of the city, which is thus subterraneous;— for while the buildings above ground are scarcely any of them, in the condition now visible, older than the time of Justinian, the cisterns that can be distinguished date from the times of Arcadius, Theodosius, and Constantine.

The position assigned to the old imperial palace is, generally speaking, that of the mosque of Ahmed, which adjoins the Hippodrome. It was not one large edifice, but a scattered group of buildings within gardens, spreading to the Hippodrome on the one side, and on the other to the sea-shore; the northernmost point of its inclosure reached the site occupied now by the fountain of Ahmed III., then by the Geranion. This palace was gradually abandoned after the 12th century for that of Blachernae within the Horn. It was separated from the church of St Sophia by the Augusteum—the square in which stood the statue of Justinian looking towards Persia, the Milliarium, and among other monuments the column that bore the silver statue of the Empress Eudoxia, which occasioned the remonstrances of St Chrysostom. Ma homet IL, built his new palace (the seraglio) on the site of the Acropolis, about which ancient Byzantium had clustered, a situation specially favourable to his purpose, as it afforded the combined advantages of a lovely prospect, a perfect retreat from the noise of the city, and a facility for observing all the movements in the harbour. In erecting it he followed the three divisions of the palace of the Byzantine emperors—(1) the Chalce, the defensive part held by the guards; (2) the Daphne, which touched the Hippodrome and was used for receptions; and (3) the private chambers occupied by the imperial household. The three corresponding portions of the Ottoman palace are distinguished by their several gates :—(1) Babi Houmaioum, the Imperial Gate, opening into the court of the Janissaries; (2) Orta-Kapusi, Middle Gate, in which the sultan receives on high festivals; and (3) Babi Saadet, Gate of Felicity, where he formerly received ambassadors. Of late years the sovereign has resided in winter at Dolma-bakcheh or Tcheragan; in summer at Begler-beg on the Asiatic shore, or at some inland kiosk.

The main streets of the Stamboul of the present day follow the lines of the city of Constantine; thus the tramway, which turns from the New Bridge towards Serai Bournou, upon reaching the platform of St Sophia, enters upon the direction of the M«n? (Mése, middle street), now called Divan Yoli. The Mése parted into two branches, of which the one went to the gate Roussion ,or new gate, the other to the Polyandrion. On the north of the middle street one branch passed along the shore of the Golden Horn from the place where the railway station is, and issued at the gate Xy]ocircus near Balata. On the south, another street passed through the two Golden Gates. These three main lines were distinguished from the smaller tortuous streets by their adornment as well as by their breadth. They were bordered by rows or covered ways and arcades called tμβoλoι, some of them double, with pavements above, decorated with statues, &c. A few traces of the emboli still remain in silu, just as there are fragments of the ancient bazaars, khans, and baths. Imperial gates closed the lines of these principal thoroughfares.

The following is an outline of the modern city, divided according to the seven hills and the intervening valleys. On the 1st hill, the most easterly, are situated the remains of the Seraglio, former palace of the Ottoman sultans; the great church-mosque St Sophia; St Irene; the imperial mint; the Atmeidan (Hippodrome), with three of its numerous monuments remaining; the mosque of Ahmed, &c. Along the 1st valley are traced the walls of the Seraglio on the west, made up of ancient materials, and the Babi Ali or Sublime Porte. The tramway runs along this valley. On the 2d hill stands the Burnt Column, that of Constantine the Great (which stood in the centre of his forum, and under which are said to be the instruments of the Crucifixion and a Palladium of Troy), and the Mosque of Osman. The 2d valley is occupied by the bazaars, several khans, and the mosque of Valideh Sultan, or Yeni Jami, overlooking the bridge and the head of the tramway. On the 3d hill are the Seraskierat (War Office) on the site of the cemetery of the Byzantines and the forum of Theodosius; the fire-tower, and the mosque of Suliman. Along the 3d valley is carried the Aqueduct of Valens, built out of the walls of Chalcedon destroyed for the citizens’ rebellion; near it is At-Bazar (horse-market). On the 4th hill rises the mosque of Mahomet II., where stood the church of the Holy Apostles and the church of the Pantocrator. South of this mosque, in a garden, is seen Kiz-tash, the Maiden’s Column, or column of Marcian, once that of Venus. On the 5th hill follows the mosque of Selim, on the edge of a large open cistern, south of which is the covered cistern of Arcadius. Below on the north lies the Phanar (so named from a lighthouse), the Greek quarter which reaches to the Golden Horn. This division includes the church of the Patriarchate, the great school of the Greek nation, the church-mosque Fetiyeh Jamisi (Pammacaristou), and the church of the Mongols (Mougloutissa). The 6th hill is distinguished by the palace of the Hebdomon, with its coronation hall, built, it is said, by Constantine I., and known vulgarly as Tekfur-Serai—palace of the lord (τoυ κvpiov). At its foot appears the church-mosque Kahrieh, or Kahireh, formerly Mone tes Choras (Mow) της χωpας). Below this hill, the quarter called Balata, from Palatium, now occupied by Jews, follows the Phanar, then the ancient suburb of Blachernae. Here are seen some remains of the Pentapyrgion, —five towers used by the Greeks of the Lower Empire as a political prison. This quarter is succeeded by Eyoub, celebrated for its mosque—which no Christian may enter— and for its cemetery. In this quarter, after Greek precedent, the sovereign is invested. On the hill near, in the Cosmidion, the first crusaders pitched their tents. The

7th hill is to be looked for in the most southern corner of the city. It is occupied by the fortress of the Seven Towers, the political prison of the sultans. It is isolated by the River Lycus.

Of the ecclesiastical buddings of Constantinople by far the most important is the Mosque of St Sophia, or Aya Sofia Jamisi, which ranks as perhaps the finest example of the Byzantine style. In striking contrast with the nobler specimens of Gothic architecture, it presents from the outside an uncouth and disproportionate appearance, even the effect of its unusual dimensions being destroyed by its lack of symmetry. But within the visitor cannot fail to be impressed by the bold span of the arches and the still bolder sweep of the dome, while his eye is at once bewildered and charmed by the rich, if not altogether harmonious variety of decoration, from the many-coloured pillars down to the mosaics and inscriptions on the walls. The dome is raised at the centre 180 feet above the ground, and has a diameter of 107 feet; its curve is so slight that the depth is only 46 feet, and round the rim it is relieved by a row of forty windows. The arrangement of the building may be understood from the plan on next page; and the magnificent volumes of Fossati and Salzenburg furnish all that can be desired in the way of views of the different parts of the interior. The first stone of St Sophia, or the Church of the Divine Wisdom, was laid in Õ32 on the site of several successive churches of the same name, the first of which had been erected by Constantine the Great. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidores of Miletus were the architects employed by the emperor Justinian, at whose command the enterprlze was commenced. No fewer than 10,000 workmen are said to have been engaged under the direction of 100 master builders; and when the woιk was completed it had cost tho imperial treasury about £1,000,000. The principal material of the walls was brick, but the whole interior was lined with costly marbles; and to add to its spléndours the temples of the ancient gods at Heliopolis and Ephesus, at Delos and Baalbec, at Athens and Cyzicus, were plundered of their columns. To render the dome as light as possible it was constructed of pumice-stone and Rhodian bricks, and to secure the building from the ravages of fire no wood was employed except for the doors. Not long after its completion the dome was shaken by an earthquake, but it was repaired by Isidore, the grandson of the original architect. In 1453 Mahomet converted tho church into a mosque, arid since that date numerous minor alterations have been made in the less essential parts of the building. A pretty complete restoration was effected in 1847-49 by Fossati, who found that the weight of the dome was too great for the Supporting walls, threatening the whole with destruction.

The most remarkable of the church-mosques, besides St

Sophia, are the following:—(1) Kutfihuk Aya Sophia, the original model of the great church. It was built for Justinian before his accession, and dedicated to martyrs of his own Illyrian race—SS. Sergius and Bacchus. The lower stage is the original fabric. Here, according to Mahometan tradition, Messiah appeared among the worshippers. (2) Pqntocrator (the Almighty), now Zeirek Jamisi, a triple church of the Comneni. Its monastery became the headquarters of the Latins in the 13th century. (3) St John of the Studium — Emer-ahor—a basilica. Here was the famous monastery of Acaemeti (watchers) and a school of church poets. (4) The Church of the Saviour, with the monastery of the Chora, as being not only ìv τfi χ<μpa (“in the fields,”) but η χωpα rωv ζωvτωv the (land of the living), a gem of beauty still, even in its decay, rich with mosaic of the 14th century of a style purer and more refined than that which is more often seen and admired at Ravenna and Palermo. In this church, alternately with the Hodegetria, was kept the Holy Robe of the Virgin, which was...