I next went to Abdu-llah Dedeh, Sheïkh of the convent of Mevleví Dervíshes in the same suburb (Kásim-páshá), and having kissed his hand, related my vision to him. He interpreted it in the same satisfactory manner, and presenting to me seven historical works, and recommending me to follow Sa’d Vakkás’s counsels, dismissed me with prayers for my success. I then retired to my humble abode, applied myself to the study of history, and began a description of my birth-place, Islámbúl, that envy of kings, the celestial haven, and strong-hold of Mákedún (Macedonia, _i.e._ Constantinople). SECTION I. Infinite praise and glory be given to that cherisher of worlds, who by his word “BE,” called into existence earth and heaven, and all his various creatures; be innumerable encomiums also bestowed on the beloved of God, Mohammed Al-Mustafà, Captain of holy warriors, heir of the kingdom of law and justice, conqueror of Mecca, Bedr, and Honaïn, who, after those glorious victories, encouraged his people by his noble precepts (_hadís_) to conquer Arabia (Yemen), Egypt (Misr), Syria (Shám), and Constantinople (Kostantiniyyeh). _Sayings_ (hadís) _of the Prophet respecting Constantinople_. The prophet said: “Verily Constantinople shall be conquered; and excellent is the commander (emír), excellent the army, who shall take it from the opposing people!” Some thousands of proofs could be brought to shew, that Islámbúl is the largest of all inhabited cities on the face of the earth; but the clearest of those proofs is the following saying of the prophet, handed down by Ebú Hureïreh. The prophet of God said: “Have you heard of a town, one part of it situated on the land, and two parts on the sea?” They answered, “yea! O prophet of God;” he said, “the hour will come when it shall be changed by seventy of the children of Isaac.” From (Esau) Aïs, who is here signified by the children of Isaac, the nation of the Greeks is descended, whose possession of Kostantiniyyeh was thus pointed out. There are also seventy more sacred traditions preserved by Mo’áviyyah Khálid ibn Velíd, Iyyúb el-ensárí, and ’Abdu-l-’azíz, to the same effect, _viz._ “Ah! if we were so happy as to be the conquerors of Kostantiniyyeh!” They made, therefore, every possible endeavour to conquer Rúm (the Byzantine empire); and, if it please God, a more detailed account of their different sieges of Kostantiniyyeh shall be given hereafter. SECTION II. _An Account of the Foundation of the ancient City and Seat of Empire of the Macedonian Greeks_ (_Yúnániyyáni Mákedúniyyah_), i.e. _the well-guarded Kostantiniyyeh, the envy of all the Kings of the Land of Islám_.