a suburb of Constantinople, N. of the "Golden Horn," and connected with the city proper by a bridge of boats. It occupies the summit of the hill on which Galata is built, and is separated from that suburb by a wall, and entered by gates, which are closed during the night. Owing to its lofty and salubrious position, Pera is chiefly inhabited by Europeans; and it has not at all a Turkish appearance, but rather resembles a small Italian town. Most of the foreign ambassadors and the dragomans reside here. A great number of houses, including the palace of the British ambassador, were burned down in 1831; but these have been since rebuilt in a better style than formerly. Since then it has several times suffered from fire. There are a Greek and several Roman Catholic churches, a Mohammedan college, and a monastery of dervishes.