Dear Mr Whittemore,

May 28.32

10 King's Avenue, Bromley, Kent.

I enclose some notes re Ste Sophie. Della Valle was an Italian who prided himself as patrician – born 1586 – died 1652. He was a learned man & associated with the most intelligent and interesting people of his time. Because of a disappointment in love, he determined to leave Italy & make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This pilgrimage turned into a period of 8 years travel spent in Turkey, Egypt, Palestine, Persia & India. He was in Const[antin]ople from Aug 15 1614 to Sept 22.1615 in Persia from Jan 1617 to Jan 1623. His accounts of life in Persia are of great interest. He described his adventures and experiences in a series of letters to his friend Mario Schipano (always addressed as V.S in his letters). These were published on his return to Rome & have gone through many editions since. The edition from which the Ste Sophia notes are taken was published at Brighton 1843. I am afraid they will not be of much use to you. I have had it copied because he was one of the earliest to visit the mosque. Covel's notes I also said they are of greater interest. I think we should find something of interest in Grelot apparently Covel had some information from him for he refers to him.

Covel gives a very full description of the walls of Constantinople with a rough (very rough plan) I have not copied them but think the Byzantine Society should. I doubt if Millingen saw his notes. He mentions the names of many of the 109 towers.

But all the time I read of these mosaics I remember the chipping of them at the Baptistry at Trebizond & my younger day experience of buying a dozen or more for a few piastres & wonder how much you will find. I have added a few notes which I have found in Covels diaries which are not on St Sophia but throw some light on the Greek church 3 centuries ago and the condition of Greek & Armenian Christians at that time.

And I have found in Covels diaries some notes on the many monasteries which from earliest days were to be found in the Gulf of Ismidt. He did what I have done many times – sailed down the Gulf but only seen traces of the monasteries. He also visited Nicea. His diaries show that he travelled to Adrianople – to Gallipoli (overland) all round the Marmara & visited Marmara & pretty well all the islands. He also went from Moudania to Smyrna via Broussa & took pretty nearly the same route which I took nearly 50 years ago. Apart from his many many learned qualifications, he was a botanist & many of our shrubs & trees he introduced to the country – amongst others the great plane trees of Broussa & a willow. Perhaps you will get some idea of his keeness when I tell you that once the captain of the ship refused to bring his plants to England because he said he could not spare the water to feed them. He found it best to grow from seed & send the plants over when established.

Will you ask Edwards if he has a copy of an article I once wrote called « Sylvestro » it may interest you. I have never been able to get any account of these monasteries in the Gulf of Ismidt. What Sylvestro says about them is only tradition. Covels diaries mention some of them.

Yours sincerely Anton Baker