Constantinople

1662. A Geographical dictionary in which are described... London. by Henry Brome.

Constantinople, a City in Romania, seated the most pleasantly of any in the World, anciently the Residence of the Eastern Emperours, now of the Grand Signior of the Turkes

1694. The great historical, geographical and poetical dictionary by Louis Moreri.

Constantinople, a famous City of Europe, the ancient Byzantium, Capital of Romania, formerly Thrace, and now the Seat of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks call it Stambol. Its Situation is the most advantageous of any in the World, for it's built on the Bosphorus of Thrace, which command over the White and Black sea, and the pleasantest and most convenient Port that can be imagined; for it lies in that Peninsula, which ending in a point, stretches at the extremity of Thrace into the Sea, where the Bosphorus begins, which joins the Propontis to Pont-Euxin, and parts Asia from Europe; so that it forms, as it were, a great Triangle, whose Base has Thrace to the West, the right-side the Propontis to the South, drawing towards the East to the mouth of the Bosphorus; the left-side towards the North, stretches along the Gulf which the Bosphorus forms in Thrace, from East to West, winding somewhat towards the North to make that admirable port. Of these three Angles, the first is towards the East, at the point of the Promontory of the Bosphorus, now called The point of the Seraglio. The second is to the South, upon the Propontis, where the Walls end that are double towards the Land, and fortify'd with good great Towers pretty near one another. The third is the lower end of the Port, and turns from West to North, upon that part of the Gulf which is called the Blaquernes; this was a Suburb where there formerly stood a very magnificent Palace, and a Church built by the Empress Pulcheria in honour of the Blessed Virgin. And it's in this part that the two Rivers Cidalus and Barbises discharge themselves into the Gulf. Here reign but two Winds, the North and South. When the first blows there is nothing can come from the Sea of Marmora, but then the Vessels that come from the Black-sea have the fairest Wind that can be, and supply the Town with all necessary Provisions: On the contrary, when a Southerly Wind reigns, no Ship can come from the Black, but all may come from the Sea of Marmora, or the White-sea; so that both these Winds are as the two Keys of Constantinople that open and shut the passage for Ships, and when both cease, small Bottoms are driven by Oars. The great Bassin which is between Constantinople and Galata forms the finest Port in the Universe. It's round this Bassin that Constantinople is seen to the South; and to the West Galata; the two Boroughs Fondukli and Tophana to the North, and the Town of Scutari to the East, which gives the Eye the most magnificent object that can be seen or imagin'd; the Buildings of this Neighbourhood being in form of an Amphitheatre, so that they can be discovered all at a time; the mixture of Cypress-trees, and the Houses of painted Wood, with the Domes of the Mosques which are on the highest places, contribute much to the Beauty of this marvellous Aspect. Constantine the Great, Founder of this great City, called it Constantinople, and took such care to enrich and embellish it, that he robb'd other Towns of their finest Ornaments to bring them hither. He raised seven Mountains, built a Capitol, a Circus, and an Amphitheatre, Market-places, Portico's, and other publick Edifices, according to the model of those of ancient Rome; so that there was reason enough to call this the New. He also established a Senate, and drew the great Men of all parts of the World thither by his great Gifts and Liberalities to them; built magnificent Churches, and rented them proportionably; founded a College, and took a particular care to furnish it with able and learned Professors; begun a Library, and stocked it with a great number of Volumes, which his Successors increased to 120000 before it was burned under the Consulship of Basiliscus. Though this were enough to render this City beautifull and magnificent, other Emperors added yet as well to embellish, as fortifie and make it greater, so that in the E•ghth Age the double Walls that environ'd it towards the Land were almost two Leagues round; those of the Sea, towards the Propontis, a little more; and those that were of the Gulf and Port side, somewhat less; which in all made above six Leagues Circuit besides the Suburbs, each whereof was well worth a Town; and what is more singular, is, That the Emperor Anastasius shut in these Suburbs and all the Houses within 20 Leagues of Constantinople with a prodigious Wall 20 foot broad, that begun at Pont Euxin and reach'd to the Propontis; and yet this prov'd but a weak Bulwark against the Barbarians. Constantine divided his New Rome into fourteen Quarters, like the Old. The Fortress which commanded the Entrance of the Port, and which the Graecians called Acropolis, was in the first, where the Seraglio is now; and there is the Pharos or Watch-tower, the Arsenal, the Baths of Arcadius, the Gallery of Justinian, &c. The famous Temple of St. Sophia, the wonder of the World, the Senate-place, the Baths of Zeusippus, re-established by Justinian, were in the second Region. The Hippodrome or great Cirque, the Church of St. Euphemia, with the Palace of St. Pulcheria were in the third. The fourth comprehended the Imperial place, environ'd with a double rank of Galleries supported upon Pillars. The Palace of Constantine, the Golden Mile whence all ways begun, &c. In the fifth, and in the sixth was the Palace of Theodosius, with the great Obelisque of Thebes in Egypt, and that of Constantine the Great, in the midst of which he raised that famous Pillar of Porphyry which supported his own Statue made of a Colossus of Apollo, brought from Athens to Constantinople. The Church of Anastasius and the Pillar of Theodosius the Great were in the seventh, which is now the place called Bezestan. The eighth had the Theodosian Basilique, the place of the Capitol. The Anastasian Baths and Palace of Arcadius were in the ninth. The Baths of Constantine, the Palace of the Empress Eudoxia, and the Church of St. Martyr Acacius were in the tenth. In the eleventh were the Temple of the Apostles built by Constantine, and rebuilt by Justinian, where were the Emperors Tombs, and upon the Ruines of which Mahomet II. built the magnificent Mosque that bears his name; the Pillar and Statue of Arcadius that was on Mount Xerolophus, and was thrown down in the Reign of Leo Isauricus, were in the twelth. In the thirteenth, on the other side the Gulf, where Galata is, was formerly a Town called Justinian. In fine, the fourteenth comprehended the Suburbs. These were the Quarters of Constantinople, so often exposed to incredible Misfortunes; for in Arcadius's Reign, about 396, it was threatned with Fire from Heaven, and did not escape but by God's particular Mercy. In 446 it was afflicted with Plague and Famine, the chief Church was burn'd, and in a Tumult that happened in the Cirque, abundance of People were kill'd. The next year was an Earthquake which lasted six Months, during which time several Houses were overthrown. The Emperor, who repair'd it afterwards, with the Patriarch Proclus, and most of the Inhabitants went out into the Field, and a surprizing Prodigy of a Child rais'd up into the Air, when they had sung the Hymn it learn'd them, put an end to this Desolation. Under the Reign of Leo the Old, and the Consulship of Basiliscus, which was in 465, this Town was almost destroy'd by Fire, which reach'd five Furlongs in length and fourteen in breadth, and in all that compass left neither Palace, Temple, Pillar, Statue, nor House, so that they were forc'd to build it all anew. When Justinian govern'd the Empire about 557, a furious Earthquake almost quite ruin'd it. A strange noise was heard under the Earth, and when that ceas'd the Air was agitated with horrible Whirlwinds that made a dreadfull noise; several Temples were quite overthrown, which gave occasion to Justinian to rebuild them more magnificent than they were. Procopius gave an exact description of that of St. Sophia, which was one of the Masterpieces of Architecture. It would be tiresome to make an exact Narration of all the Accidents that befell this City since its Foundation by Constantine, to the time it was taken by the Turks, there being never an Age that it was not afflicted with a Plague, an Earthquake, Fire, Civil-Wars, Incursions of the Barbarians, and 1000 other Calamities; for the Saracens and other Barbarians have often besieged it. It has been also often taken; as by Constantinus Copronymus in 744, by the French in 1204, who kept it under Emperors of their Nation for 58 years. Alexis Angelus, called the Tyrant, had usurp'd the Crown from Isaac Angelus in 1195. Alexis, Isaac's Son, implor'd the assistance of the French and Venetians that were going to the Holy Land, and these took Constantinople after eight days Siege, in 1203. The year after Alexis Ducas Murzuffe put the Emperor to death that the Croisade had established. They returned upon this news, made themselves Masters of the Town a second time, and made Baudouin Count of Flanders Emperor thereof; Henry, Peter, Robert, Baudouin II. succeeded him, but Michael Paleologus surpriz'd the Town under this last, in 1261; at which time it still had its particular Embellishments, which are quite ruin'd and defac'd since it uphappily fell into the Turks hands, only a part of St. Sophia's Church that is to be seen still, and some remains of the Porphyry Pillar, some of the Ruins of the Palace of Blaquernes, and two or three more: Besides these, there is now hardly the sign of that Constantinople built by Constantine, but the place it was built in, which is now but a confus'd heap of Cabins rather than Houses, they are so very low; yet some Mosques are pretty sumptuous, the Seraglio's, Carvansera's, and Deity, but to order Coresus to Sacrifice Callirrhoe, or any else that would suffer for her; when she was ready to receive the fatal stroke, Coresus kill'd himself for her, which sight struck her so deep that she also kill'd her self on the Banks of a neighbouring Fountain, which has since that time retain'd her name.