Great Palace of Constantinople
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Apr 15, 2024 · Constantinople’s cultural and architectural heritage, highlighted by landmarks like Hagia Sophia and the Theodosian Walls, continue to tell the story of a city that was once the epicenter of the world.
- Foundation by Constantine
- Constantius to Theodosius
- Justinian & The Nika Revolt
- Medieval Constantinople
Emperor Diocletian who ruled the Roman Empire from 284 to 305 CE believed that the empire was too big for one person to rule and divided it into a tetrarchy (rule of four) with an emperor (augustus) and a co-emperor (caesar) in both the east and west. Diocletian chose to rule the east. Young Constantine rose to power in the west when his father, Co...
In 337 CE Constantine died, leaving his successors and the empire in turmoil. Constantius IIdefeated his brothers (and any other challengers) and became the empire's sole emperor. The only individual he spared was his cousin Julian, only five years old at the time and not considered a viable threat; however, the young man would surprise his older c...
A number of weak emperors followed Theodosius II until Justinian (527 - 565 CE) – the creator of the Justinian Code – came to power. By this time the city boasted over three hundred thousand residents. As emperor Justinian instituted a number of administrative reforms, tightening control of both the provinces and tax collection. He built a new cist...
Two other emperors deserve mention: Leo III and Basil I. Leo III (717 - 741 CE) is best known for instituting iconoclasm, the destruction of all religious relics and icons – the city would lose monuments, mosaics and works of art – but he should also be remembered for saving the city. When the Arabs lay siege to the city, he used a new weapon “Gree...
- Donald L. Wasson
- Forum of Constantine. Forum of Constantine was one of the places that best describes the great transformation of the Roman Empire in the 300s. During the reign of Emperor Constantine, Christianity was on the rise and the center of Rome shifted to the East.
- The Great Palace. The Great Palace was a place to reflect the splendor of the Roman Empire. Emperors had lived here for almost a millennium. There was a corridor leading from the palace to the imperial lodge in the Hippodrome.
- The Mese. The Mese was a Roman road that flowed like a river through Constantinople. The Mese started from the Million Stone, very close to Hagia Sophia, and extended to the Golden Gate, the main entrance to the city.
- Church of the Holy Apostles. The Church of the Holy Apostles was an iconic structure built by Emperor Constantine. The church was a powerful symbol of the Christianized Rome and had the relics of some of the apostles.
Map of Byzantine Constantinople under Constantine, Justinian and Heraclius. Explore Hagia Sophia, the Hippodrome, the Forum of Constantine and other features.
Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, was home to some of the most magnificent architectural wonders of its time. From the iconic Hagia Sophia to the impressive defensive walls, the city’s architecture reflected the empire’s wealth, power, and cultural heritage.
Landmarks like the Hagia Sophia, which served as a mosque after the Ottoman conquest and now stands as a museum, bear testimony to the city’s layered history. A Bridge Between Worlds: Constantinople’s legacy as a bridge between the East and West continues even today.
Dec 2, 2019 · Only less than a hundred years after the Ottoman conquest, Constantinople would again be the great imperial city with the grandest of landmarks during the reign of the sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent in the 16th century.
