Journal of a Visit to Constantinople and Some of the Greek Islands in the Spring and Summer of 1833

ARM BAZAR. Saturday, 25th.– Went to the arm bazar, or curiosity shop, which I found stored with a motley show of weapons, dresses, ornaments, horse trappings, and armour, such as would make George Robins's fortune, could he send his myrmidons of porters to lay hands on all they could carry away. Helmets, spears, bucklers, bows, battle-axes, swords, daggers, rifles, long guns; in a word, every species of offensive and defensive weapon, from the common musket of the English soldier to the stiff bow of the Persian, were here gathered together from every kingdom of the East and West. DAMASCUS SWORD BLADES.A fat Turk, squatting on his counter, tempts you, on one hand, with a blade of the rarest Damascus steel, inscribed from hilt to point with some verse from the Koran in Arabic letters of gold; such as an invocation to the one God, – "Strength to the arm who wields the blade in a righteous cause, and death to him it reaches," &c. Drawing the sword from the gold-embroidered velvet scabbard, he rings it with his nail, to convince you of its soundness and temper. SCENE IN THE BAZAR.Cast your eyes in the opposite direction, and you may observe the Armenian, in the next stall, winking and slily beckoning you towards him. He smiles, should you condescend to notice him, but frowns and shows impatience when you appear to disregard his attempts to seduce you from his portly rival. The latter, finding you will not buy the sword, displays his pistols, silks, mouth-pieces of tempting amber, and appears determined that you shall purchase something; till at length, his patience being fairly exhausted, he packs up his wares, and surrenders you to the wiles of his now triumphant opponent, who feels satisfied that he can make you take something off his hands, though the Turk was unsuccessful. As most Englishmen appear to value swords, he takes from his cupboard a black-looking, dust-covered, white-handled weapon; and pushing aside his long robe with an air of the utmost importance, he draws forth the blade, which proves to be a black Khorassan, entirely destitute of ornament: he rings it, it returns a silver sound; he points out the beautiful watering, the gradual deepening of the colour from the edge to the back, and finishes by swearing to you, whilst he looks towards the Armenians and Jew brokers gathered around for their attesting nods, that it is the most exquisite blade in Stamboul; that it will cut a lawn kerchief, thrown into the air, into two parts, as clean as a pair of scissors. He then closes his panegyric with the demand of, "How much will you give?" Scarcely waiting for a reply, he throws it aside, as if of no value; and, in imitation of his neighbour the Turk, endeavours to keep your curiosity awake, by placing all his wares before you. JEW BROKERS.The instant you turn from the disappointed merchant, you are assailed by twenty Jew brokers at once, who, having espied their quarry from afar, have assembled from all quarters of the bazar, and, like a flock of vultures, are waiting near to devour you, congratulating themselves on your unwillingness to buy of the cunning Armenian. One attacks you in bad Italian, another in modern Greek, interlarded with a few words of unintelligible English or French. Each is master of a stall; where, according to his own account, you can purchase whatever you want at the greatest advantage, though, as yet, they know not what that is, even if you do yourself. Thus, like Actæon, the unfortunate stranger is exposed to the chance of being torn to pieces by the dogs who profess to call him master, and to do his utmost bidding.

The bazar is always crowded with buyers, sellers, and idlers, so that it costs some little squeezing and pushing to get through its various passages. When a large purchase is contemplated, or if the seller be an Armenian or Greek, he will adjourn with you to the neighbouring coffee-house, and there, over a pipe and a cup of coffee, the bargain is concluded on much better terms than in public, where, possibly, the merchant's pride would not relish the exposure of abating some hundred piastres, and where the sharks of brokers might lay claim to a good recompense, for bringing the Ingles capu dou to be plucked.

INTERIOR OF THE BAZARS. In the bazar the noise is deafening from the screams of the disputing parties, and the vociferating of prices by those who have articles for sale. It is a sort of Babel in miniature, where Jews and brokers push by you every instant, hastily shuffling along, and loaded with some piece of second-hand finery to be put up at auction; such as, for instance, an incense salver, a piece of Persian silk, an Albanian rifle, an old silk or velvet robe, embroidered with gold, the property of some gay Turkish lady, who having exhausted her purse the day before in a party of pleasure to the Keathane or "Sweet Waters," wishes to replenish it by the sale of a portion of her wardrobe. To these may be added, amber mouth-pieces, bundles of long pipe-sticks, a lot of worn-out clothes, a Persian battle-axe, China ornaments for scents, coffee cups with their silver filigree stands, a Cashmere shawl, &c. Each seller bawls out the last bidding for his separate commodity in the highest note of which his voice is capable; and as all are pitched in different keys, the stranger is soon driven forth to seek a purer and more quiet retreat, either within the gold and silver embroidery bazar, or in that of the Broussa silks, close by.

SLAVE MARKET. Quitting this scene of tumult, I visited a place of a very different character, – the slave market, situated in a square yard, three sides of which are occupied by low stone buildings, with wooden sheds projecting in front. They were divided into rows of cells, each having a window and door opening into the wooden enclosure just mentioned. Within these dens, – and they exactly resemble the cells usually occupied by wild beasts, – a "crowd of shivering slaves" were seen either penned up within the inner apartment, or lying about, like cattle, in the open space in front. They appeared to be all Nubians, – black, dirty, and clothed in ragged blankets. Born to no other inheritance but slavery, they seemed wholly unconscious of their degraded state; and continued chattering unconcernedly, and, to all appearance, very happy. As I stood gazing on the novel scene, the ruffian keeper (and never did a vile, debasing occupation stamp its character more indelibly on the physiognomy of man) led one of the black victims forth, to meet the speculating caprices of a haggard old Turkish woman. He proceeded to point out her good qualities, and to descant on the firmness of her muscles, the robustness of her limbs, and her mature age; at the same time pinching her tender flesh, by way of proving the truth of his assertions, till the poor creature shrieked out with agony. He then tore down her eye-lids, to exhibit the healthiness of her eye-balls; and wrenched open her mouth, to prove, by ocular demonstration, that he practised no deception in speaking of her age. The old woman herself examined her all the time, and haggled, as to the price, like a butcher when purchasing an ox in the cattle market. As I witnessed all this, my heart sickened, and I turned with loathing from the disgusting spectacle. Yet the poor negress was wanted only for a domestic slave, and would, probably, be kindly treated, when once the property of the old hag, who, I believe, purchased her at last for 1000 piastres, or fifty dollars. Indeed the girl appeared to be conscious that the change would be advantageous to her, from the meekness with which she bore the treatment of her persecutors. Proceeding a little further on, we observed, sitting at the window of one of the cells, a solitary female, whose head was covered with a linen veil. On hearing our approach, she looked at us through its folds; in an instant after, the covering was removed, and a pair of brilliant, dark eyes shed their lustre upon us. Nowadays a white slave is seldom found in the market, the Russians protecting the Circassian and the Georgian, and the French and English the Greek. When they do appear, they are generally disposed of at a high price. GEORGIAN SLAVE.This beautiful captive, who proved to be a Georgian, was neither bashful nor timid. She saluted us with smiles, severing her raven locks, and trying to captivate the spectators, by making her beauty appear to the greatest advantage. However, it did not seem to possess any power over the Turks; and as to the Christians, they are not allowed to purchase slaves publicly, though sometimes it is done indirectly, and by the assistance of some friendly Osmanli. I saw but three or four men-slaves, with a few boys, all Nubians, and, like their female companions, in a dirty, miserable condition. They were chained together, two and two, by the ankles. Having now satisfied my curiosity in regard to this much talked-of but loathsome spot, I was most glad to hear the proposition that we should adjourn to Mustapha's. From him we learned that the Georgian beauty had been exposed to sale for several days; but that no one had offered to purchase her, the sum demanded being exorbitant. Her proprietor was a rich man, and could afford to wait until some one consented to put down the 2500 piastres at which he valued her.

TURKISH CONFECTIONERY. Passing through the old-clothes' bazar, the Monmouth Street of Stamboul, we came to a range of stalls occupied by the engravers and cutters of precious stones. Many talismans were offered to us, set very neatly in blood-stone, carnelian, and lapis lazuli. The day was wound up with the important business of tasting the different varieties of confectionery to be found in a large, handsome shop near the Balouk bazar. All were luscious, and many, particularly the preserved rose leaves, were even delicate. We partook of some thirty or forty different sorts; in which flowers, scents, fruits, and gums were mixed with sugar, until of the consistence of damson cheese. The Turks eat a vast quantity of these cloying sweetmeats, after which they drink abundance of sherbet. A glass of good brandy, however, would, in my opinion, be a much better corrective.

ARMENIAN VISITERS. Sunday, 26th.– Went up to Terapia this morning, and spent the day in wandering through the Sultan's Valley, under the superb plane trees, and returned to dine on board the Actæon. After dinner, a party of young Armenians came on board, accompanied by their tutor. They were sons of a man of distinguished rank among his countrymen, residing on the Bosphorus; and one of them, the eldest, about eighteen years of age, was so fat, round, and sleek, that we all decided him to be what Baba threatened to make poor Juan. The other two brothers were very fine intelligent lads, and there was also a cousin with them, a heavy, shy, youngster. The tutor, who was a young man of about twenty-two, spoke French, Italian, English, and Latin, fluently. His pupils, likewise, understood a little English, and French uncommonly well. They were delighted with their reception, and remained a long time at table in the gun-room, drinking their wine with much relish, and seeming to prefer it to coffee, especially the younger boy, who, had he been permitted, would have willingly finished a whole bottle to his own share. On taking leave, they invited us all to their father's residence; but we never availed ourselves of the invitation, possibly because we discovered that they had no sisters; and the inside of the black house, below Jené Keni, was in itself an insufficient attraction, without the chance of getting a glimpse of a fair Armenian girl, divested of her odious gashmak, and the form-concealing cloak.

The evening was lovely, and my sail down to Pera delightful: no sound broke upon the ear, save the rippling of the current against the caique as it glided lightly along, like the bird, which skims closely over the surface of the ocean, and appears to bathe its plumage in the waves, though in reality without wetting its crescent wings.

ORIENTAL COSTUME. Monday, 27th.– Strolled again in the bazar: this word means barter, or the act of bargaining for the sale or purchase of any commodity; and it is in them that all the retail trade of Constantinople is carried on. As these cloistered passages exclude the rays of the sun, they are cool and pleasant places to lounge in, except that the pavement is usually in a very dilapidated state. The merchants themselves present an interesting spectacle, each wearing the proper costume of his respective country, which, with the motley garb of the crowd incessantly passing to and fro, amuses the stranger's eye with a curious and almost infinite variety of dress and appearance. For the convenience of those who arrive periodically at Stamboul from the most distant portions of the empire, in caravans, there are large khans provided; which, being built entirely of stone, are fire-proof, and afford ample accommodation for the merchants with their attendants and property. TURKS. – ARMENIANS. – GREEKS.Yonder sits the Turk, grave and taciturn: his goods are spread before him on his counter, and samples hang around in neat array; but satisfied with this, and trusting to their intrinsic value to recommend them, he smokes with a haughty air, and disdains to utter a single word to arrest the stranger's passing steps. Should you question him about the price, and attempt to cheapen his merchandise, the answer will be comprised in two words; and if the abatement be again proposed, he replies with an economical "No," and a whiff of smoke, after which he again relapses into his former apathy.

That bearded elder, seated on a low stool with the dark clouds of thought and mental calculation visible on his countenance, is an Armenian. Though he will submit to a diminution of his price, he is honest; and though a man of few words also, yet is he civil without affectation, and persuasive from the apparent sincerity of his professions.

JEW INTERPRETERS. Their neighbour, however, makes ample amends for the taciturnity of both. He is a Greek, and you may hear him at the other extremity of the bazar. The most laboured efforts of the rhetorician bear no comparison with the honied, artful speeches, and the gay and cheerful air by which he detains, wheedles, and finally succeeds in obliging the passer by to purchase, or at least examine the contents of his stall. Observe yon poor devil, dragged first this way, then thrust back again, trying in vain to still the tempest which rages around him, by speaking half a dozen languages in a breath. He is an interpreter, or go-between in a purchase, and seems torn to pieces in the whirlwind of voices which assail him from the disputing parties, in each of whose languages he tries to explain; but, poor patient Jew! you never could speak any of them intelligibly, and your nasal twang, and drawling accent, so disguises what you do say, that nothing but a miracle could make you understood. The screams, the grimaces, the gestures which these people exhibit, during their unavailing efforts to render themselves understood, appear inexpressibly ludicrous to the indifferent spectator, and their perseverance is still more extraordinary, since it rarely happens that their best endeavours are repaid by any thing better than reproaches, kicks, and imprecations.

TURKISH CIVILITY. Our old friend Mustapha reposes so much confidence in the honour of an Englishman, that this morning he offered to lend me any sum I wished, with no other security than my simple word. In order to convince me of his ability to make good this promise, after removing a stone from the floor, he unlocked an iron trap-door, and showed me a mine of gold pieces concealed below. He was delighted with a rough sketch I made of him; indeed, many circumstances go to prove that the fanatical aversion of the Turks to portraits and pictures is much on the decline, notwithstanding all representations of the human figure are strictly prohibited by the Mahomedan law. The Sultan has had his likeness taken twice already, and he is going to sit a third time to an English artist of the name of Atkins.

Tuesday, 28th.– A ship arrived from Malta to-day, bringing intelligence that the formidable English fleet destined to join the French squadron might soon be expected in the Dardanelles. All Pera is in raptures at this news, and there is now some hope that the Russian Bear will be forced to draw in his claws.

DECREASE OF FANATICISM. I walked about Stamboul to-day, and experienced much civility from the Turks, who took infinite trouble to answer all my enquiries. When I made them understand by signs that I wished to cross the Horn, many left their little stools and walked some distance to put me in the right course. How changed is their conduct in this respect from what it was at no very remote period, when a Christian hardly dared be seen in the streets, and when the Turk, for mere sport, thought nothing of drawing a pistol and shooting at any Frank whom he happened to observe looking out of his window; and not only the foreign merchant, but even the consul, was obliged to have a guard of janissaries to attend him from his house to his office. At that time, too, the wealthy Christian, in passing through the streets of Stamboul, was often stopped and compelled to sweep the muddy crossing; and even the dogs were allowed to worry him, without his daring to beat them off. Happily those days of fanatical intolerance are for ever passed; and the irresistible march of civilisation, by gradually weakening his prejudices, has humanised even the intolerant and ferocious Mussulman.12

CASHMERE SHAWLS. Thursday, 30th.– To-day a man brought for sale a quantity of Persian silk, which was very soft and beautiful, and the colours were bright and well arranged; he had also some black Cashmere shawls with variegated borders: though the patterns looked handsome, they were of inferior qualities, and not to be compared with the French and Scotch imitations. Not being inclined to purchase any, I posted off to the khan, where the Angora shalée is sold, and saw some beautiful specimens of this soft and warm manufacture, whose fine silky texture renders it a great object of commerce for ladies' dresses: the price is about 300 piastres for eight pics, which is the requisite quantity.

TURKISH BATH. I returned to Pera to take the hummum or bath, the one there being very clean, quiet, and well managed. A narrow platform, raised about three feet from the ground, and covered with cushions, runs round the whole of the first chamber, which is lighted from above by a glazed cupola; and a fountain of clear water playing continually in the centre, spreads a delicious coolness throughout. As soon as we had mounted the stage, one of the bath-men offered carpets and cushions, but my companion refused them, for the plague is often communicated by using these pro bono publico comforts; and a Perote lives in constant dread of this terrible malady. After undressing, we hung our clothes on pegs, and covered ourselves with a linen towel, devoted to that laudable purpose, and which, if neglected in the slightest degree, calls forth the most energetic remonstrances from the old Turk, who sits smoking near the fountain.

The wooden pattens or slippers used by the bathers were arranged on the steps by which we mounted the stage, and I had several narrow escapes from being prostrated on the marble pavement ere I reached the small door leading into the hummum; so difficult do the uninitiated find the use of these wooden bridges, which are clumsy, heavy, and slippery as skates. I shuffled along very awkwardly, much to the amusement of three sedate old gentlemen, who were puffing and melting from the effects of a long sojourn in the heated atmosphere of the inner chamber. The first hot room was rather pleasant; and after remaining there a few moments, to break ourselves in for the furious attack on the pores to be expected in the next, we entered the second chamber, and again pushed on into the third, where the sensation, though at first unpleasant, gradually became delightful. Coffee and pipes were now brought in; and sitting down on a low marble bench, we consigned ourselves to the influence of the melting atmosphere, thinking of the unhappy condition of the mutton-chop, when it exclaimed in a piteous voice to the gridiron, "I am all of a perspiration." There were several other bathers undergoing this process of fermentation; and when the coffee was finished, and the pipe laid aside, two fellows placed me gently on my back, and commenced rubbing, squeezing, and twisting my arms, ribs, and legs till I thought every joint would be dislocated. I soon felt satisfied with this sort of discipline, though, upon the whole, the sensations were rather disagreeable than painful. The room where we underwent the operation is an octagon, with an arched roof, into which light is admitted through a number of bulls' eyes, or knots of glass; and a marble basin is fixed against the wall on each of its eight sides, into which two pipes, with stop-cocks, admit both hot and cold water. With this you deluge yourself by means of a large metal ladle chained to the wall; or it is done by the bath-man, should you prefer the assistance of another. Within this chamber was a smaller one, containing similar basins, and to one of these I moved, followed by one of the men, who, after lathering me from head to foot with a sort of slimy caustic soap, scrubbed me down with a brush made of aloe shreds. Having overwhelmed me once more with cold and hot water, and given a finishing pull or two at my limbs, he left me to duck myself, if I thought fit; but I had had quite enough, and hurried back into the second chamber. Here I was enveloped in hot towels, one being wound round my head, another round each leg, &c., and in this way I returned to the first court, where I mounted the stage, and sat down to dry, smoking a good half hour before I resumed my clothes. Instead of being exhausted, as might have been expected, I felt highly refreshed, and grew delightfully cool in a short time, though I fancied I had lost some pounds of flesh.

As regards the natives of the East, bathing can scarcely be styled a luxury; to them, it is really indispensable; for as they do not change their clothes even at night for months together, in fact, not until worn out, they would be otherwise insufferable beasts; but by frequenting the bath every day, or every other day, and performing the ablutions imposed on them in the Koran, with their quiet sedate mode of life, they are actually rendered very cleanly animals. The women have the use of the baths in the afternoon, when they assemble in crowds, and all the scandal and news of the town is circulated, marriages concluded, and the secret intrigues of the parties are reciprocally detailed; in short, every thing which may be supposed to be brought on the tapis in an exclusive meeting of the fair sex. Nature is every where the same; and I presume, whether in a bath at Stamboul, a Parisian saloon, or a drawing-room in London, a similar love of gossip is their distinguishing characteristic. Almost every quarter of Stamboul is furnished with its baths or hummums; and the houses of all rich Turks possess this desirable luxury, which is used by the male part of the family in the morning, and by the females afterwards. The plan on which they are constructed is the same throughout the East: in them shaving is universally performed; the hair is dyed, the beard is made to assume a beautiful glossy black; and the depilatory pincers and ointments of the ladies are applied to the purposes for which they are designed. The bath I used was opposite the sherbet vender, on the hill of Pera, who is so well described in "The Armenians" of Macfarlane; and whose little fountain of water, flowing through machinery, and setting wheels, circles, and bells all in motion together, is no slight decoy to the thirsty passenger. I have read "The Armenians" with great pleasure. The description of the locale, as well as of the manners, customs, and general appearance of the native and foreign inhabitants of Constantinople, is given with admirable fidelity; in short, no modern work with which I am acquainted presents a more lively and faithful picture of this queen of cities.

EASTERN STORY-TELLER. Friday, 31st.– Instead of making an excursion to the Sweet Waters, I went with my friend the American secretary to visit the coffee-houses in the Armenian quarter, where an improvisatore exhibits his talents every holyday. Immense crowds of respectable Turks assemble there to listen to the narrations of this accomplished story-teller; and it is even said that the Grand Signior himself is often present as an auditor in disguise. In all the coffee-houses there were concerts of vocal and instrumental music; the former consisting of songs or chants performed by a number of voices together, or else one man sang a single verse, to which all the others responded by way of chorus. Occasionally they varied their performances by singing alternate verses of the same song. We sat in the open air, on a long pier of wood built out into the sea, where there were hundreds besides, perched upon low stools, smoking, or eating delicious ices and mahalabé, and laughing and talking with more vivacity than I could have expected in beings generally so taciturn, and so absorbed in the contemplation of their own importance. At last, a man came to the door of the largest coffee-room and clapped his hands, when the Turks immediately moved into this apartment, in which seats were arranged in a semicircular form one above the other, as in a theatre. A portion of the floor, in front of the benches, was occupied by low stools, probably reserved for visiters of distinction; and close to the wall was a rostrum and a large easy arm-chair, on one side of which stood a little desk.