, p. 61.

[423] _Altchristliche Baudenkmaeler von K.P._ plates 34, 35.

[424] Pulgher, _Les Anciennes Eglises de C.P._ p. 23.

[425] _History of Architecture_, i. 458.

[426] _L'Art byzantin_, p. 126.

[427] _History of Architecture_, vol. i. p. 458.

[428] _Manuel d'art byzantin_, p. 414.

CHAPTER XVII

THE MONASTERY OF MANUEL,
KEFELE MESJEDI

The mosque known as Kefele Mesjedi, in the quarter of Salma Tomruk, is
commonly supposed to represent the monastery founded by Manuel,[429] a
distinguished general in the wars with the Saracens during the reign of
Theophilus (823-842). This opinion is doubtless based upon the
circumstance that the monastery in question stood in the vicinity of the
cistern of Aspar,[430] [Greek: synengys te kisterne tou Asparos] (the
large open reservoir to the east of the Gate of Adrianople), near which
Kefele Mesjedi is also situated. But that circumstance alone cannot be
regarded as sufficient ground for the identification of the two
buildings. There are at least five other monasteries mentioned in
Byzantine history, all distinguished by the mark of their proximity to
the cistern of Aspar.[431] And at a short distance to the west of Kefele
Mesjedi, and nearer to the cistern of Aspar, we find the remains of an
old church, now Odalar Mesjedi, which might with equal force claim to
represent the monastery of Manuel. The commonly received identification
may, however, be correct as a happy conjecture. Mr. Siderides,[432]
indeed, considers the identification of the monastery of Manuel with
Kefele Mesjedi a mistake. According to him, that monastery was a
reconstruction or enlargement of the ancient monastery of SS. Manuel,
Sabel, and Ishmael, which stood on the heights above the Phanar, now
crowned by the mosque of Sultan Selim. To the objection that there it
would not be near the cistern of Aspar, Mr. Siderides replies by denying
the correctness of the identification of that cistern with the open
reservoir (Tchoukour Bostan) to the east of the gate of Adrianople, and
in the vicinity of Kefele Mesjedi. In Mr. Siderides' opinion the cistern
of Aspar is the beautiful covered cistern, generally known as the
cistern of Puicheria, to the south-west of the mosque of Sultan
Selim.[433] But the dimensions of the cistern ascribed to the famous
sister of Theodosius II. do not accord with the size of the cistern of
Aspar. The latter was 'a very large cistern,' [Greek: ten megisten
kinsternan],