The Antiquities of Constantinople. Gilles Pierre

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СКАЧАТЬ the Top of that Hill, where the second Valley, which is also shelving and very narrow, takes its Rise. On the third Hill the Plain is above six hundred Paces in Breadth, but somewhat more upon the Level at the Entrance of the third Valley, which is six hundred Paces broad. From hence you rise by a gentle Ascent to the Plain on the Top of the fourth Hill, which is not above two hundred Paces wide. On the fifth Hill it dilates itself to the Breadth of seven hundred Paces. On the Hill, from whence the fifth Valley takes its Rise, ’tis more narrow; and on the sixth Hill ’tis a little upon the Ascent again. As to the Plain, which extends itself between the Sea and the Bottom of the Promontory, that also is not so even in some Places as it is in others; for it is narrower under the Hills, in the Vales ’tis half as wide again. For winding itself from the Promontory, where it begins, over three Valleys, it is widen’d at that Distance into the Breadth of a thousand Paces, though at the Foot of the Hills it is not above an Acre, or a hundred and twenty Foot in Breadth, except at the Bottom of the third and fifth Hills, where ’tis very narrow, but extends itself over the fourth Valley both in Length and Breadth to a great Degree. At the Foot of the sixth Hill it contracts itself again, except at the Foot of two lesser Hills, situated behind the first and second Hills; one of which projects almost to the Sea, the other is at no great Distance from it. But to describe Constantinople in a more easy and comprehensive Manner, I will give the Reader a particular Account of all its Hills and Vales, which indeed make a very lovely and agreeable Prospect. For the six Hills which shoot from the Promontory, (and which for their Likeness you might call Brothers) stand in so regular an Order, that neither of them intercepts the Prospect of the other; so that as you sail up the Bay, you see them all hanging over it in such a manner, that quite round the City you see before you both Sides of every one of them. The first of these Hills jets out to the East, and bounds the Bay; the second and third lie more inward to the South; the others lie more open to the North, so that at one View you have a full Prospect of them. The first lies lower than the second; the second than the third; the fourth, fifth and sixth are in some Places higher, in others somewhat lower than the third, which you may discover by the Level of the Aqueduct. That the first Hill is lower than the third and fourth, may be discover’d by the Tower which supports the Aqueduct, by which the Water is raised into the Air above fifty Foot high. To make this more intelligible, I will divide the City, as to the Length of it, from the Land’s Point on the Shore of the Bosporus, to the Walls on the Neck of the Isthmus, and consider the Breadth of it, as it widens from the Propontis to the Bay called Ceras. The Reason why I divide the City, as to its Breadth, into six Parts, is the natural Situation of the Promontory, which itself is divided into six Hills, with Valleys running between them. It was no great Difficulty to distinguish the Roman Hills, because they were entirely disjoin’d by Valleys; but ’tis not so easy to distinguish those of Constantinople, because they are conjoin’d at Top; and besides, the Backs of them do not project in so mountainous a manner as they do in the Front; so that I cannot better describe them, than by calling them a continued Ridge of Hills, divided each of them with Valleys. And therefore to proceed regularly, I shall first give the Reader a Description of the right Side of the Promontory, with its Hills and Vales, and then take Notice of the left Side of it, which stands behind them.

Chap. VI.

       Of the Situation of all the Parts of the City describ’d.

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      THE first Part of the Breadth of the Promontory is the Front of it, which opening to the Distance of a thousand Paces Eastwards adjoins to the Chaps of the Bosporus. For this Sea winds round the Back of the Promontory in such a Manner, that from the Point where the Bosporus is divided, to the Bay called Ceras, and the Land’s Point of that Sea, it extends itself from North to South to the Distance of fourteen Furlongs; and from thence to a farther Distance of four Furlongs, it winds round from the South-east to the South-South-west, even to the Mouth of the Propontis, which joining with the Bosporus, winds round the City to South-west, to the Distance of two Miles more. This Side of the Hill is bounded at the Bottom of it with a Plain of the same Breadth with itself, which is two hundred Paces. There rise upon the Plain some lesser Hills, which are not above four hundred Paces in Height. On the Top of the left Side of these Hills stands the Hippodrom; on the right Side, which faces the South-west, is the Palace of the Grand Seignor. I might not improperly call it the Front of the Promontory, as being almost of an equal Ascent in all its Parts, having a Plain running along it, of an equal Length with itself; besides, it adjoins to the first Hill: I say, for these Reasons I might call it a part of the first Hill; but to understand it more distinctly, I shall treat of it by itself.

Chap. VII.

       Of the first Hill, of the Palace of the Grand Seignor, of the Church of St. Sophia, and the Hippodrom.

       Table of Contents

      THE first Hill, extending itself from the South-east to the South-west, opens at the Entrance of it to the Breadth of thirty Paces; from thence it widens gradually, and so on, till at last ’tis almost as broad as ’tis long. It rises at the Nook of the Isthmus, which joins the Peninsula to the Continent. It projects itself in the Form of a Cymetar, or a Hawk’s Beak, and almost divides the Straits of the Bosporus, and the Bay called Ceras. The whole Hill projects beyond the others almost to the Mouth of the Bay. ’Tis all upon a Descent, except the Top of it, where there’s a Plain which joins to the Plain of the Promontory. The lesser Eminences which stand upon it, and which face the East and the North, have a moderate Descent, others of them are more steep, so that in some Places you are obliged to climb them by Steps, but the tallest of them is not above four hundred Paces high. The Plain, at the Foot of this Hill, is very different. The Eastern Part of it is much widen’d by the Sea Shore, which jets out in a semicircular Manner. The Breadth of the South-east and northern Part of it is encreased by the Valley, which divides the first from the second Hill. The Plain on the Top of the Hill is about seven hundred Paces in Length. This Hill is not only fortified by Nature, as being encompassed on the East by the Bosporus, on the North by the Bay of Ceras, and on the West by a cool Valley; but ’tis also inclosed within the Walls of the Seraglio, which are guarded with numberless Ramparts and Towers, which are equal in Strength to the Walls of the City. Towards the Foot of the Hill, and the Plain near the Sea, lie the Gardens of the Grand Seignor. The Imperial Palace, which is partly situate on the Top of the Hill, and partly on the Eminences below it, affords almost an unmeasurable Prospect, both by Sea and Land. In this Plain there are two Imperial Areas or Courts; the first of these Courts is seven hundred Paces long, and two hundred broad. You pass through this into another inner Court, which is a Quadrangle two hundred Paces long, and has round it a magnificent Portico, supported with a Multitude of fine Marble Pillars curiously variegated. In the Middle of the Court there’s a fine shady Walk of Plane and Cypress-Trees for the Lawyers, and in the North Angle of the City is the Forum Judiciale, which the Ottomans call their Divan. On the South-east Side of a large Court stands the magnificent and stately Palace of the Grand Seignor, on the North Side of which are built many Imperial Bagnio’s, and Kitchens with eight arch’d Roofs, rising like a Cupola, in an hemispherical Manner; each of these Cupola’s representing the Figure of a little House, is nothing else but a Chimney with Windows, light at Top, made in the Likeness of a Lantern. There is a two-leav’d Iron Gate which lets you into the first Court, the Leaves of it, when opened, stand at twenty Paces Distance. The Porters or Capoochees stand always upon Duty at these Gates. Just above them the Hill rises up to a smooth Level with the Ridge of the Promontory. The Porch or Gate-house is lined on each Side with glittering Armour, and shines, as do also the Jambs of the Gate with rich Marble. Over the Porch there rises a square Building cover’d with Lead, as are all the other Edifices of the Palace. There’s a Passage out of the СКАЧАТЬ