Chap. IX Of the Columns Now Remaining on the Seventh Hill
The Church standing here is called Studios, because it was built by one Studius an eminent Citizen of Constantinople. It was he, says Suidas, who built this Church with a handsome Monastery. Justinian, in his Constitutions, takes Notice of him, when he says, That there were two Biers plac’d in the sacred Treasury; one to the Memory of the Famous Studius, and the other to the Memory of the Magnificent Stephanus. The Monastery built by Studius was call’d Studium, which is entirely demolish’d. The Church remains, tho’ converted into a Mosque. In its Porch are four Pillars with a Trabeation curiously finish’d. In the Inside of the Mosque, there are on each side seven green Pillars, streak’d with black Veins, and look as if they were inlay’d with Pieces of Stone of another kind. Each of them measures in Circumference six Foot and six Digits. Their Capitals, and Architraves, are finish’d after the Corinthian Manner, as are those which stand in the Vestibule. In the upper Part of it stands another Order of six Pillars. In the Courts of the Mosque is a Cistern; the Roof of it, which is Brick-work, is supported by twenty three lofty Corinthian Pillars. The Monastery of Studius is now within the Walls of the City, tho’ it formerly stood without it, near the way you go from the Pillar of Arcadius to the Gate of the seven Towers. The Passage of this Gate is at present fill’d up; the Jambs of it are two Corinthian Pillars of spotted Marble, streak’d with green Veins, which sustain eight smaller Pillars, which support three Arches above. On the left Side of the Gate are six Marble Tables, all of which are enclos’d, some with round, some with square Pilasters, upon which are carv’d many fine Statues. They are all of them Naked, of exquisite Workmanship, in a fighting Posture, with Clubs in their Hands, the tallest of which have engrav’d over them winged Cupids. On the right Side of the Gate are six more Tables, enclos’d as the former. Upon the lowest of these there lies a young Man, with his Face upwards, and his Legs folded, holding a musical Instrument in his Hand. There hangs over him a little Figure, in the Likeness of a Cupid, and above the Cupid there rises a Woman. Upon the highest Table there’s carved a naked Statue, with a Club in his Hand; his right Arm is cover’d with a Lyon’s Skin, and with his left Hand he is leading Dogs. Above him is the Statue of a Lyoness with full Dugs. Upon another Table are carv’d two Husbandmen carrying Baskets full of Grapes; and upon another is the Statue of a flying Horse. The Bridle is held by a Woman, behind whom stand two Women more: At the Top of the Table there’s another Woman in a recumbent Posture, and opposite to her a young Man lying on the Ground. I took particular Notice of these Figures, by Reason of the Antiquity, and the admirable Sculpture of them. I saw also upon the seventh Hill, among others, four Mosques of curious Workmanship. Their Vestibules and Pillars were all of Marble. Three of them stood on the Eastern Side of the Hill, two of whose Vestibules were adorn’d with six lofty and large Pillars; two of which were of Thebean Marble, and the other four of different kinds of Marble, vein’d with a dark green. The other stands near the Pillar of Arcadius, lately built by the Consort of Solyman the Grand Seignor, (with a handsome Caravansera, and a College, where the Turkish and Arabian Learning is profess’d) in which I counted more than sixty Pillars of different kinds. On the Top of the Hill there are two other Mosques, one of which has Bagnio’s, and Colleges joyning to it. The Vestibule of it is beautify’d with six Pillars of Thebean Marble, which measure each six Foot in Circumference. Their Bases and Capitals are finish’d after the Turkish Manner. The Shafts of the Pillars are very ancient, especially of those two which face the Door of the Mosque, whose Hypotrachelions at Top are more slender than the Shafts, tho’ in the lower Parts of them, they are equal to them, as a Man’s Neck is less in Circumference near the Head, than the Shoulders. ’Tis adorn’d with one Annulet, which rises in the manner of a Ring. Above it there’s another Annulet, which is broad and flat. I saw no Hypotrachelion, all the Time I was at Constantinople, which came so near the Model of Vitruvius, as this; who delivers it as his Judgment, that the Hypotrachelion ought to be contracted in the upper Part of it, as you may see in his third Book de Ionicis. There’s another Mosque on the same Hill, the Vestibule of which is beautify’d with six very lofty Pillars; in the College Court there are fourteen, and as many in a Portico adjoyning to it.