MOSQUES — MAUSOLEUMS. 247 



forbidden ; consequently, a traveller has now no 

 chance of seeing the interior of any of the 

 mosques, unless he, by good fortune, finds him- 

 self at Constantinople when some person of rank 

 or importance obtains a firman to see them, in 

 which case any one may follow in his train. 



At one place, however, by our cicerone's ad- 

 vice, we contrived to look into one mosque, by 

 boldly walking in at the door, taking good care, 

 however, to retire, before a Turk, who perceived 

 us enter, could reach us. He assailed us with a 

 volley of abuse, but we were out of his reach 

 before he could lay hands upon us. A Turk- will 

 not hesitate to give any Frank a box on the ear 

 if he can get near him, if he sees him prying into 

 his place of worship, and I remember one gentle- 

 man receiving a compliment of the kind for only 

 looking in at a window. 



The mausoleums of some of the deceased sul- 

 tans are very remarkable. They are small chapel- 

 like buildings, and their windows are covered with 

 a kind of net-work, so that there is no difficulty 

 in seeing into the interior of them. I was much 

 struck with that of Sultan Selim, and his family. 

 The large stones which are placed over the spots 



