P R E F A C E T H E SE letters are enlarge d fro m letters I ro e h re e ears a o urin the b ri ht w t t y g , d g g a s I o a s tan in le I n d y e njye d t Co n t o p . we t h ere i h m h usb an w h o re u ire ch an e t w t y d , q d g an d res to s ee o u r so n who w as h e n an d t , , t , . s ill i S r f E b a s h ere T h u h s ec eta o m s . o t , r y y t g ’ o ur so n s le ers had led us to e e c m uch th e tt xp t , e rem e lo velin ess o f th e Bo s h o rus and the xt p , i n te r e s t o f th e histo rical mo nume nts i n a nd aro u n Co n s an ino le o o k us co m le el b d t t p , t p t y y s u r rise We e re re eive i h the rea es p . w c d w t g t t kin e ss b S ir Clare Fo r o ur A mb assa o r dn y d , d , and b y all th e memb ers o f th e British E m b ss H . M . th e ul n es e o n u s ma ks a y . S ta b to w d r o f h is I mpe rial favo ur su ch as h ad se ldo m b efo re b een b e sto w e d o n me re travelle r s . We saw thin s hi h f ew visi o rs e ve r see and g w c t , vi P r ef a ce saw m an y things u nde r th e m o s t favo u rable cir ums an ce s b e i n acco m an ie ever h ere c t , g p d yw du ring th e thr ee mo n th s o f o u r s tay b y o n e o f th e P alace ai es - d e - cam h o se I m erial d p , w p u n ifo rm gai ne d u s acce ss to places which n o u n f ak hi h l h e n e o u s am o t o b s s wo u d ave o p d t . T h e i ea o f an an e r h e n assi n alo n d y d g , w p g g th e c o e s re e s o f S amb ul o r vis i in r wd d t t t , t g an o f th e M o s u e s o r th e m o re eso la e an d y q , d t e se e m e mo ri als o f th e B zan ine E m i e d rt d y t p r , n ever c o sse o ur min s an d w e lef i h an r d d , t w t a n r rn A f er h e v n s o f e r e s t de sire to e tu . t t e e t las ear ha esi e ill h ar l b e realize t y t t d r w d y d , no r i s it like ly no w th a t the chi ef o bje c t I h ad i n vi e i n ub lishi n h e se le ers ill b e fu lfille w p g t tt w d , and th a t o th e rs will b e p ersuad e d by th em to spe n d th ei r h o lidays i n th e so ft a ir an d th e lo vel s e nes o f th e B s ho u s y c o p r . I t will b e se en tha t a few o f the le tte rs are i e b wr tt n y my hu sb an d . E M M L G OR GI N A AX U L E R . c muar 8 j y , 1 97 . C O N T E N T S “ A R R IVAL AT CON S TA N T I N OP L E T H E B R I D GE OF GA L ATA (F . M . M . ) T H E S E RA GL IO A N D T R E A SUR Y T HE S E L AM L IK T H E P AL A CE OF YI L D I z T E P R T F . H O H E M M . P ( . ) ’ T H E M OS Q U E S A N D T UR BE HS A D I N N E R A T YI L D I z T H E OL D WA L L S P ICN I CS ON T H E BOS P H OR US T H E Q UR BAN BA I R A M R E CE P T ION T H E N E W M US E U M A N D T HE S I D ON S A R COP H A GI F . ( . M M .) B R USA H AS A N A N D A . M M . H US I N (F . ) T UR KI S H L AD I E S OUR L AST AU D I E N CE I L L U S T R A T I O N S ’ ‘ S E RAGL IO P OIN T F r ontzspzece B R I D GE OF GA L ATA T HE CH I N I L I KIOS K T H E S E L A ML I K I N TE R OR OF T S P H A I S . O I T U R BE H OF M A H M UD I I . T H E OL D WAL L S T HE VAL I D E H B E N D S A R COP HAGUS OF AL E XAN D E R S AR COP HAGUS OF T H E P L E UR E US E S HE GR E E N S E B R A T M O Q U , US T UR KIS H L AD Y I N YA S HMA K AN D FE R E JE H L ETTE RS FROM CONSTANTINOPLE I AR R IVA L AT CO N STAN TI N O P L E ’ ‘ I T U P is time to be p , the rinces Islands are in ’ o ur u sight , said a voice at cabin door abo t seven ’ o clock on a morning in May . We needed no second u n s mmons , and , dressing hastily, were soo on deck ; b ut great was o ur disappointment to find that it was u b ut a dark , foggy morning , and that we co ld see - w little of the far famed islands, hich lie in the ’ u S u . Marmara , a long ho r s steam from tamb l We had reached the entrance of the Dardanelles the night ’ e f u b ore , abo t seven o clock , after a lovely day on the Archipelago , catching distant glimpses of some of n the islands as we steamed past . O joining the P u vessel at the irae s, late in the evening , we had u u u - fo nd a c rio s coll e ction of fellow passengers . The o o c wh le l wer de k was crowded with Albanians , n &c . Monte egrins , , and their families, where they had e any, on th ir way to S tamb fxl in search Of employ B 2 L etlens fro m Co nstanti nople - . set . ment They were a wild and dirty looking , and we were told had bee n carefully disarmed directly u they joined the st eamer at Corfu . They had bro ght e u their b dding , carpets , and cooking tensils with n n them , and when they were neither sleepi g , eati g, n o th e e i n nor prepari g their f od, they spent tim c gambling and playing cards . Those who had pa ks u u e of cards sed them , the rest tore p bits of pap r, and marked them in some way best known to the m b ut n selves , evidently considered as good as the pri ted cards . We were cautioned not to leave open the wi n dows of o ur cabins whi ch looked on to this l o wer e d ck .