CONSTANTINOPLE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1581, 18 March 1887, Page 3

CONSTANTINOPLE.

Constantinople, called by the Turks Stambou), is the capital of the Turkisk Empire. It is said to have been founded in the seventh ceDtury before Christ, and retained its name of Ryzautium, derived from its founder, till its conquest (a,d 330) by Constantino the Great, who built a new city on the sitp, and gave to it its present name. It came into the hands of the Turks in 1453. Situated on an arm of the sea called the Golden Horn, on the European side of the Bosphorus or Strait of Constantinople, the city holds a splendid position, and its appearance from the aea is very strik-

ing, but the streets are for the most part narrow and dirty, and the houses are mostly low, being built of wood and earth. It contains, however, some fine buildings, such as the Seraglio, or Imperial Palace, and the Cathedral of St Sophia, now converted into a mosque. Many of the mosques are very beautiful, ."nd are generally surrounded with trees and gardens. The Golden Horn, on the north side of the city, forms one of the finest harbours in the world. On the uorth-east side of the harbour are the suburbs of Galata and Pera, whrre the Eugli s, the French, and other Europeans reside. Galata Is the seat of the commercial establishments, that of the diplomatic bodies. The inhabitants of Stamboul itself are Turks, Armenians, Greeks, and Jews, who have each particular quarters allotted to them. The objects of greatest att-action in Stamboul are the bazaars or market-places, the fountains, and the bathe. The Seraglio stands on the eastern side of the city, and is surrounded by public offices and Government buildings, being altogether three miles in circumference. The principal entrance to the palace is called " The Porte." There are upwards of 350 mosques in Constantinople, and about 30 Greek, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches. There are more than 130 public baths in the city, and 180 khans or lodging-houses of great size, chit fly occupied by foreignersOmnibuses and tramways have been introduced, and on the Pera side of tSe city many of the streets are lighted with pas. The old walls of the city are 13 miles in circumference, and its population (including the Puburbs) is estimated at 1,075 000. Scutari, on the Asiatic coast, is comHdetedasuburb of Constantinople. —From Cassell's Concise Cycloroelia.