Former palace in Constantinople
The
Palace of Blachernae
(
Greek
:
τ? ?ν Βλαχ?ρναι? Παλ?τιον
)
[1]
was an imperial
Roman
residence in the suburb of
Blachernae
, located in the northwestern section of
Constantinople
(today located in the quarter of
Ayvansaray
in
Fatih
,
Istanbul
,
Turkey
). The area of the palace is now mostly overbuilt, and only literary sources are available as to its description.
History
[
edit
]
The Palace of Blachernae was constructed on the northern slopes of the Sixth Hill of the city in circa 500.
The hill itself was partially remodelled, particularly in later times, and a number of terraces created to support the various buildings comprising the palace complex.
[3]
Although the main imperial residence during the 4th?11th centuries was the
Great Palace
at the eastern end of the city, the Blachernae palace was used at times, and is attested in the ceremonial protocols contained in the 10th-century
De Ceremoniis
, or Explanation of the Order of the Palace, Chapters I.27, I.34, II.9, II.12) of Emperor
Constantine VII Porphyrogenitos
(r. 913?959).
At that time, it included several structures: the hall (
triklinos
) of Anastasius or
Anastasiakos
(
Τρ?κλινο? ?ναστασιακ??
), named after Emperor
Anastasius I
(r. 491?518) who built it, the hall of the Ocean or
Okeanos
(
Τρ?κλινο? ?κεαν??
), the
portico
of Joseph or
Iosephiakos
(
Π?ρτικα? ?ωσηφιακ??
), and the hall of the
Danube
or
Danoubios
(
Τρ?κλινο? Δανουβι??
). The latter communicated with the nearby shrine of the Greek Orthodox
Church of St. Mary of Blachernae
through a series of staircases.
[1]
It was here that in the late 11th century the Emperor
Alexios I Komnenos
(r. 1081?1118) moved his main residence, and he and his grandson
Manuel I Komnenos
(r. 1143?1180) undertook great works there, fortifying the palace precinct and erecting new halls.
Manuel I, in particular, is credited with the construction of an elaborate
outer wall
,
[4]
and of several splendid new halls, such as the Hall of Irene (named after Empress
Irene of Hungary
) and the
Polytimos Oikos
("House of Honor/Esteem"). At this time the palace complex became known as the "New Palace".
[5]
Among the structures of the time, only the so-called
Prison of Anemas
, which formed part of the palace's substructure, still survives.
[6]
After the
Fourth Crusade
, the
Latin emperors
favoured the
Bucoleon Palace
, but on the recapture of the city in 1261, the
Palaiologan
emperors restored the Blachernae complex as their principal residence.
[7]
The
Palace of the Porphyrogenitus
, probably dating to the late 13th century, although a little further south than the main Blachernae palace complex, is usually related to it. It is the only relatively intact example of Byzantine palace architecture in Constantinople.
See also
[
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]
References
[
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]
Sources
[
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]
Further reading
[
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]
External links
[
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]
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41°02′02″N
28°56′25″E
/
41.0339°N 28.9403°E
/
41.0339; 28.9403