Читать книгу The Antiquities of Constantinople - Gilles Pierre - Страница 14

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FROM the uppermost Plain of the Promontory, on which, as I observed, stood the Church of St. Sophia and the Hippodrom, by an easy Ascent of a thousand Paces, you climb the Ridge of the second Hill up to the Porphyry Pillar, erected on the Top of the second Hill, which is bounded on the East by the first Valley, which divides the first from the second Hill. It rises at the Plain of St. Sophia, and extends itself from South to North. This Valley represents exactly the Figure of the Letter V; one of whose Sides extends itself full East, the other North. Thro’ the Middle of it runs the Wall, which divides the Grand Seignor’s Palace from the rest of the City. The lowermost Plain of the Promontory extends itself in Length and Breadth so far into this Valley, that from the Bay to the Church of St. Sophia, you may walk a thousand Paces almost upon the Level. From the Entrance of it on the Sea Side, ’tis all a plain Ground to the Length of five hundred Paces; afterwards winding itself into this Vale, it rises with a small Ascent, which is more easily perceivable by a gentle Fall of the Water, than by the Eye or Foot. At the Beginning of it ’tis somewhat wide, afterwards ’tis narrower, and at the End of it ’tis straighten’d into two lesser Valleys; one of which, near to the Church of St. Sophia, is four hundred Paces long. It rises gradually, and is so very narrow, that the publick Way takes up the whole Breadth of it.