Narrative of Travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the Seventeenth Century (Complete)

It was first built by Solomon, and has been described by some thousands of historians. The date of its capture is contained in those words of the Korán, “The exalted city” (beldah tayyibeh), and to it some commentators apply the following text: “Have not the Greeks been vanquished in the lowest parts of the earth?” (Kor. xxx. 1.) and “An excellent city, the like of which hath never been created.” All the ancient Greek historians are agreed, that it was first built by Solomon, son of David, 1600 years before the birth of the Prophet; they say he caused a lofty palace to be erected by Genii, on the spot now called Seraglio-Point, in order to please the daughter of Saïdún, sovereign of Ferendún, an island in the Western Ocean (Okiyúnús). The second builder of it was Rehoboam (Reja’ím), son of Solomon; and the third Yánkó, son of Mádiyán, the Amalekite, who reigned 4600 years after Adam was driven from Paradise, and 419 years before the birth of Iskender Rúmí (Alexander the Great), and was the first of the Batálisah (Ptolemies?) of the Greeks. There were four universal monarchs, two of whom were Moslims and two Infidels. The two first were Soleïmán (Solomon) and Iskender Zú’l karneïn (the two-horned Alexander), who is also said to have been a prophet; and the two last were Bakhtu-n-nasr, that desolation of the whole face of the earth, and Yánkó ibn Mádiyán, who lived one hundred years in the land of Adím (Edom).