ion had gone through the
streets of the city, invoking the aid of God and of all His saints. The
emperor and the leading personages of his court were in S. Sophia,
praying, weeping, embracing one another, forgiving one another, all
feeling oppressed by a sense of doom. In the terrible darkness the
church of S. Theodosia, ablaze with lighted tapers, gleamed like a
beacon of hope. An immense congregation, including many women, filled
the building, and prayers ascended to Heaven with unwonted
earnestness--when suddenly the tramp of soldiers and strange shouts were
heard. Had the city indeed fallen? The entrance of Turkish troops into
the church removed all doubt, and the men and women who had gathered to
pray for deliverance were carried off as prisoners of war.[280]
According to the _Belgic Chronicle_, the body of the saint and other
relics were thrown into the mire and cast to the dogs.[281]

_Architectural Features_

As the building has undergone extensive repairs since it became a
mosque, care must be taken to distinguish between the original features
of the fabric and Turkish changes and restorations. The pointed dome
arches rest on pilasters built against the internal angles of the cross.
The dome is windowless, has no internal drum, and externally is
octagonal with a low drum and a flat cornice. Dome, arches, and
pilasters are all evidently Turkish reconstructions. The gable walls of
the transepts and the western wall are also Turkish. As the central apse
coincided with the orientation of the mosque, it has retained its
original form and some portions of its Byzantine walls, but it also has
suffered Turkish alterations. The cross arches in the south gallery and
in the narthex are pointed, and, in their present form, unquestionably
Turkish; but as the vault above them is Byzantine, their form may be due
to cutting away in order to secure a freer passage round the galleries
for the convenience of Moslem worshippers. The outer narthex is Turkish,
but the old wall which forms its foundation and traces of an old
pavement imply the former existence of a Byzantine narthex. In spite,
however, of these serious changes the building preserves its original
characteristic features, and is a good example of a domed-cross church,
with galleries on three sides and domes over the four angle-chambers.

The galleries rest on a triple arcade supported by square piers. On the
north and south the aisles are covered with cross-groined