the sheafs of Joseph’s brothers bowed themselves before his sheaf.” In one may be seen the columns carried away from the imperial palace and Augusteon of Justinian which formerly supported statues of Venus, Theodora, and Eudoxia; in others are marbles from the ancient churches of Chalcedon, pillars from the ruins of Troy, columns from Egyptian temples, precious stained glass stolen from Persian palaces, building materials, the plunder of circus and forum, aqueduct and basilica, all engulfed and lost sight of in the white immensity of the religious art of the victors. [J] “The dome itself is 86 feet in diameter internally and 156 feet in height. At St. Sophia the dome is 108 feet in diameter and 175 feet in height, or 22 and 19 more, respectively.”--Fergusson, _Hist. Architecture_.--TRANS. [Illustration: Panorama of Mosque of Bayezid.] The interiors differ from one another even less than the exteriors. At the farther end is a marble pulpit, facing it, the Sultan’s seat enclosed within a gilded lattice; beside the _mihrab_ stand two huge candelabra supporting tapers which look like the trunks of palm trees; innumerable lamps composed of large crystal globes are disposed about the nave in so singular a manner as to seem more fitting adjuncts of a grand ball than of religious solemnities. Inscriptions encircling the columns, doorways, and windows, friezes painted in imitation of marble, and floral designs executed in stained glass are the sole attempts at ornamentation which break the white monotony of those lofty walls. The marble treasures of the pavements in the vestibules, the galleries surrounding the courtyards, the ablutionary fountains, and minarets do not impair at all the character of charming yet severe simplicity which marks those great white fabrics, framed in verdure, whose lofty domes stand out clear and sparkling against the blue sky. And, after all, the _jami_--that is, the mosque proper--covers only a minor part of the enclosure which goes by its name, the rest being taken up by a labyrinth of courtyards and buildings, consisting of auditoriums, where the Koran is read; treasuries, where private individuals deposit their valuables for safe-keeping; academies, medical colleges, children’s schools, quarters for students, and soup-kitchens for the poor; insane asylums, hospitals, khâns for travellers, and baths--a little philanthropic settlement nestling at the base of the lofty temple as at that of a mountain, and shaded by mighty trees.