The  lower  series  is  the  finer.  Five  panels  to  the  right
balance  five  panels  to  the  left  of  a  spindle-shaped  Persian
design.  Its  two  neighbours  are  conventionalised  cypress
trees,  than  which  nothing  more  decorative  was  ever  in-
vented. Then  come  two  magnificent  panels  of  larger
spindles  against  a  thicket  of  peach-blossoms  or  Judas  blos-
soms, red  with  small  blue  centres,  followed  by  two  more
cypresses.  Five  panels  of  the  upper  series,  one  of  them
forming  the  axis,  are  latticed  again  with  blossoming
sprays.  In  this  case  there  is  no  spindle  to  hide  the
greater  part  of  the  flowers,  which  are  blue  with  smafl
red  centres.  The  tiles  are  very  nearly  if  not  quite  as
good  as  those  of  the  preceding  century,  and  they  make  a
wall  more  splendid  than  exists  outside  the  old  Seragho.
Yeni  Jami  is  better  suited  for  tihng,  being  compara-
tively a  smaller  mosque.  Its  proportions  are  also  much
better  and  the  frescoing  is  not  so  bad  as  that  of  Sultan
Ahmed.  The  tiles  themselves  are  not  so  interesting.
But  attached  to  the  mosque,  and  giving  entrance  to  the
imperial  tribune,  is  a  suite  of  rooms  which  are  also
tiled.  This  imperial  apartment  is  carried  across  the
street  on  a  great  pointed  arch,  and  is  reached  from  out-
side by  a  covered  incHned  way  which  enabled  the  Sultan
to  ride  directly  up  to  the  level  of  his  gallery.  At  the
same  level  is  also  a  Httle  garden,  held  up  by  a  massive
retaining  wall,  and  a  balcony  with  a  rail  of  perforated
marble  once  gave  a  magnificent  view  over  the  harbour.
