ABSTRACT
Every Friday in Constantinople is performed a ceremony called the “Selamlik” or public visit of the Sultan to a mosque for the mid-day prayer. Former sovereigns usually discharged this duty at St. Sophia or one of the principal religious edifices, in each of which is a Mahfil or Imperial pew. Abd-ul-Hamid II., however, has since the beginning of his reign shown a preference for the mosques in the immediate vicinity of Yildiz, and of late years has had one constructed for his special use, and to all intents and purposes in the palace grounds. From the gate of Yildiz descends a steep road bordered on one side by annexes of the palace, which terminate in two pavilions, 1 one devoted to the reception of distinguished persons and ambassadors, while in the other are accommodated the common herd of sightseers. On the other side are a garden and a mosque, white, new, and unpretentious, but deriving a certain grace and dignity from the background, where the coast of Asia and Mount Olympus are seen rising from the Sea of Marmora.
