The diary of Henry Teonge, chaplain on board H.M.'s ships Assistance, Bristol, and Royal Oak, 1675-1679 / transcribed from the original manuscript and edited with an introduction and notes by G.E. Manwaring.

  • Teonge, Henry, 1621-1690.
Date:
[1927]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The diary of Henry Teonge, chaplain on board H.M.'s ships Assistance, Bristol, and Royal Oak, 1675-1679 / transcribed from the original manuscript and edited with an introduction and notes by G.E. Manwaring. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    187/360 (page 161)
    The chief beauty of this city is to be seen from the top of a hill, which is about a mile or more Weft of the city, over which hill lies the road to Scanderoon. From hence the city shows moft beautiful; it ftands round, the buildings all of ftone and flat on the top (where they lie all summer), and done with tarras ; looks white, and very beautiful. Next you see the cupolas,204 which are [in] abundance, not only on their mosques but on many of their great buildings, rising up above the reft of their buildings like so many pretty mountains over the plains : as also abundance of round towers, of which there is one at every mosque, from which the Turks are called to their devotions (six times in twenty-four hours) in these words or very near them, viz. : “ La illah illella Muhemet re sul Allah ” : “ There is but one God, and Mahomet His Prophet/’ These that call are called Talisman.205 Another adorning is the cypress-trees, which are very high and green, and all over the town ; which make a very pretty show. And laffc of all the caftle, which, though it ftand on the South side of the city, yet from that hill it seems to ftand in the very midft of all the city, and on a round hill far above the higheft tower or place in the city. Thus the place looks moft pleasantly from that hill, but when you come into the city your expectation is fruftrated, where you find abundance of ruinous walls and houses, the Turks repairing none —only the English keep their houses in good repair. About the town are brave gardens and pleasant plantations, wherein grow all manner of garden-ftuff, apples, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, cherries,206