Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/279

 CONSTANTINOPLE 275 severe fire occurred in May, 1866; and still others in June, 1870, and early in 1873. The city is divided into separate districts inhabited by Turks, Greeks, Armenians, and Jews. The Turkish districts are the most extensive. The bewildering labyrinth of streets, lanes, and al- leys is almost unrelieved by public squares, of which only the following are worthy of men- tion : At Meidan (horse square), a portion of the old hippodrome ; Serai Meidan (palace square) ; Serasker Meidan, a portion of the old Forum Tauri ; Tavuk Bazaar (poultry market) ; Jindi Meidan; Et Meidan, where the public executions take place ; and Vefa Meidan. A feature peculiar to Constantinople is the ba- zaars or market halls, large fire-proof build- ings lighted from above, in which hundreds of tradesmen and shopkeepers retail their wares, and some of which enclose several cov- ered streets. Open markets for the sale of horses and cattle, fish, &c., are kept daily in several streets or squares; also a market for old clothes, not inappropriately called the Bit Bazaar, or lice market. The Avret Bazaar (women's market) was formerly set apart for the sale of female slaves. Of castles there remains only one, the castle of the seven towers (Yedi Kule), originally built as a citadel, but afterward used as a state prison for princes, and the ambassadors of nations at war with Tur- key. The sultan's residence of state is the Serai Humayun (seraglio), a small walled city of itself, nearly 2 m. in circumference, and including mosques, dwelling houses, baths, gardens, gov- ernmental offices, the mint, arsenal, and trea- sury building. Formerly it was inhabited by at least 6,000 persons, and entirely inaccessible to strangers. The mystery which surrounded it gave rise to the most fabulous accounts of the splendor and magnificence of this imperial resi- dence, all of which have vanished since it has been thrown open to visitors, who could not fail to see that the sultan's palace stands far New Palace. below the residences of other European mon- archs in sumptuousness and commodiousness. The outer gate of the seraglio is called the Sub- lime Porte, a designation frequently applied to the Turkish government. The old seraglio (Eski Serai), erected by Mohammed II. in the centre >- St. Sophia. of the city, is about m. in circumference, and encloses the office of the secretary of war, two barracks, the military academy, &c. The num- ber of prayer houses or mosques in Constan-