THESSALONICA. 455 
From the Rotunda we went to see the Church chap, 
of St. Sophia. Mr. Charnaud accompanied us. •>. 
This building is now a mosque, corresponding, s/"J.'„''^^,^/ 
in all its proportions, with that which bears the 
same name in Constantinople; but being of less 
magnitude. It is, however, exceedingly well 
worth seeing, owing to the columns of Ferde- 
antico which it contains : they are mentioned by 
Pococke\ There is also here another extra- 
ordinary Bema, or Suggestum^ made also of the 
Ferde-antico, with steps leading up to it; the 
whole being of one entire mass of this beautiful 
aggregate. They have a tradition, that when 
St. Paw/ preached ^tThessalonica, he delivered his 
discourse from this pulpit. Insignificant as 
such a tradition may appear, it is nevertheless 
noticed by almost every traveller who has writ- 
ten an account of the place. Pococke mentions 
it, but with some difference ; for he refers the 
place of St. Paul's preaching to a subterraneous 
church beneath the mosque of St. Demetrius. Mosque 
This mosque we also visited : it was once the Demetrius. 
metropolitan church. Its form is that of a cross. 
Pococke calls it the most beautiful mosque in 
the town: on each side is a double colonnade of 
(1) See Pocockt's Descript. of the East, vol.11. Part II. p. 151. 
L,nnd, 1745- 
