The Antiquities of Constantinople: With a Description of Its Situation, the Conveniencies of Its Port, Its Publick Buildings, the Statuary, Sculpture, Architecture, and Other Curiosities of That CityGilles, Pierre
History
The Antiquities of Constantinople: With a Description of Its Situation, the Conveniencies of Its Port, Its Publick Buildings, the Statuary, Sculpture, Architecture, and Other Curiosities of That City
Gilles, Pierre
Istanbul (Turkey) -- Antiquities; Istanbul (Turkey) -- Description and travel; Turkey -- Antiquities
The Walls and Roof of this Church are built with Brick. The Inside of
the Walls of the Church are incrusted with elegant Marble of several
Kinds. All its Materials are the most valuable Productions of Nature,
so that the Prospect of it employs the Thoughts of the Spectator with
Delight and Admiration. The Roof of it is a surprizing Piece of gilded
_Mosaick_ Work, which reflects such a Lustre upon the Eye, that even
the _Barbarians_ who behold it, are wonderfully taken with the Sight
of it. This Roof is supported with eight Pillars, four of the largest
and tallest of which bear up the four Arches which support the Roof.
Two of these Arches, _viz._ the Northern and Southern, bear at the
Bottom of their Curvature upon a thin Wall full of Windows, which Wall
is strengthen’d by two Ranges of Pillars standing one above another.
In the lower Range stand eight Pillars, which rise from the Pavement,
the six above them support the thin Wall. The Eastern and Western
Arches have neither a Wall nor a Pillar to support them, but are so
open, that they make the Body of the Church appear more large. For
these Arches projecting beyond the former, bear upon four other Arches,
which are supported by two small and two large Pillars: For the four
large Pillars do not only bear up the four great Arches, but every
one of them does also support two small Arches, one of which extends
itself length-ways, the other cross-ways of the Church; by which
means the Church is lengthen’d and widen’d to a great Distance; for
on the East and West Side of it there are two _Semi-domes_ which are
join’d to the _Cupola_ in such a Manner, that they have the same Roof
within the Church, though without it the Roofs seem to be distinct.
These _Semi-domes_ are a great Ornament to the _Cupola_, which rises
very highly above them. The Breadth of the Church is widen’d beyond
the _Dome_ with Arches and Pillars, and the Northern and Southern
Wall, which form the three upper and three lower Galleries, which are
incrusted with elegant Marble of different Kinds, the Roof of them
being cover’d with _Moresco Mosaick_ Work, finely gilded. Every Arch
which lies across the Church bears only upon one Pillar, for one End
of their Curvatures is supported by the outward Wall of the Church,
which bears upon large Pillars, from whence there rise four Arches,
which on both Sides of the Church are supported by the Wall. Two of
these Arches bear up the Roof of the three lower Galleries, and the
other two support the Roof of the three upper Galleries, the Sides of
which bear upon Walls, and Arches, and Pillars. Hence it is, that if
we consider the Inside of the Church by itself, as enclosed by its
Pillars and Columns, we discover it to be of an oval Figure; whereas if
we view the whole Space of it without these Pillars, it is a perfect
Square. For the upper and the lower Galleries, which are the Wings of
the Church, adjoin to it in such a Manner, that if we measure it from
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account