Late Roman & Byzantine Sites of Istanbul

Vegetable gardens along the Theodosian Walls north of the Gate of Xylokerkos, Constantinople

Hagia Sophia, Constantinople: Deesis mosaic

Introduction

After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, many of the churches of the city were converted to mosques, beginning with the most important of them, Hagia Sophia. The second most important church, the Church of the Holy Apostles, was demolished, like some others, and the Fatih Mosque was built on its site. Some buildings were just let to stand and fall in ruins.

Despite all this, there are still a great number of Byzantine buildings in Istanbul today that can be admired. Hagia Sophia, Hagia Eirene, the Basilica Cistern, the Theodosian Walls, and the Chora Church are among the most famous surviving structures, but a number of other buildings are equally impressive, especially those dating from the middle and late Byzantine period. The city is also, together with Ravenna, home to one of the best collections of Byzantine mosaics in the world.

Sites

In my collection all the major and many minor surviving Byzantine structures of Istanbul are included. I introduce late Roman and early Byzantine structures as well as examples of the middle and late periods of Byzantine architecture, thus covering a time frame longer than a millennium.

Milion | at the beginning of Divan Yolu Caddesi, Cağaloğlu | early 4th century
Column of the Goths | Gülhane Park, Eminönü | 3rd or 4th century
Forum of Constantine: Column of Constantine | Çemberlitaş Square | 324-330
Hippodrome of Constantinople: Sphendone | Nakilbent Sokak & Kasap Osman Sokak, Sultanahmet | reign of Constantine the Great (306-337)
Hippodrome of Constantinople: Serpent Column | Sultanahmet Square | 478 BC
Hippodrome of Constantinople: Masonry Obelisk | Sultanahmet Square | 4th century
Hippodrome of Constantinople: Obelisk of Theodosius | Sultanahmet Square | mid-15th century BC; base – 390 AD
Forum of Theodosius (Forum Tauri): Column of Theodosius | in the foundations of the Beyazıt Hamam, Kimyager Derviş Paşa Sokak 2, Fatih | reign of Theodosius I (379-395)
Forum of Theodosius (Forum Tauri): Triumphal Arch of Theodosius | along Ordu Caddesi east of Beyazıt Square, Fatih | 393
Column of Marcian | Kıztaşı Caddesi, Kızanlık Caddesi, Dolap Caddesi & Yeşil Tekke Kuyulu Sokak, Fatih | 450-452
Theodosian Walls: Golden Gate | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Theodosian Walls: Gate of Xylokerkos | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Theodosian Walls: Byzantine gardens | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Theodosian Walls: Gate of Pege | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Theodosian Walls: Gate of Rhesios | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Theodosian Walls: Fourth Military Gate | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Theodosian Walls: Gate of Saint Romanus | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Theodosian Walls: Fifth Military Gate | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Theodosian Walls: Gate of Charities | inner wall – 404-413; outer wall and moat – after 448; many later repairs, renovations and reconstructions
Walls of Blachernae: Wall of Manuel I Komnenos and Gate of Kaligaria | mid- and second half of the 12th century
Walls of Blachernae: Prison of Anemas | 12th century
Walls of Blachernae: Walls of Heraclius and Leo V the Armenian | wall of Heraclius – first half of 7th century, reinforced in second quarter of 9th century; wall of Leo V the Armenian – early 9th century
Sea Walls: Harbour of Eleutherios (Harbour of Theodosius) | northeastern end of Nadir Nadi Park, Kocamustafapaşa | reign of Theodosius I (379-395)
Sea Walls: Tower of Basil and Constantine (Marble Tower) | Kennedy Caddesi & Genç Osman Caddesi, Yedikule | before the 11th century
Yoros Castle | Tuna Caddesi 5, Anadolu Kavağı | after 1261
Aqueduct of Valens | Atatürk Boulevard, north of the Saraçhane Park, Fatih | 360s-370s
Cistern of Aetius | Fevzi Paşa Caddesi, Salma Tomruk Caddesi, Kurtağa Çeşmesi Sokak & Kelebek Sokak, Karagümrük | 421
Cistern of Aspar | next to the Yavuz Selim Mosque, Çukurbostan | 459
Cistern of Theodosius | Piyer Loti Caddesi, Dostluk Yurdu Sokak & Boyacı Ahmet Sokak, Sultanahmet | 428-443
Cistern of Philoxenos | İmran Öktem Caddesi, Sultanahmet | 5th or early 6th century
Basilica Cistern | Yerebatan Caddesi 1/3, Sultanahmet | 532
Great Palace of Constantinople: Palace of Magnaura | Kutlugün Sokak 33-35, Sultanahmet
Great Palace of Constantinople: Palace of Boukoleon | Kennedy Caddesi, east of the Çatladı Kapı bus stop, Cankurtaran | first half of 5th century; restored in 9th and 10th centuries
Great Palace Mosaic Museum | Arasta Bazaar, Sultanahmet | around 6th century
Palace of Antiochus (Martyrion of Hagia Euphemia) | Divan Yolu Caddesi, Atmeydanı Caddesi & İmran Öktem Caddesi, Sultanahmet | 429-433; conversion into a church – 6th century; northern structures – mid-5th century
Palace of Blachernae: Palace of the Porphyrogenitus | Tekfur Sarayı Hoca Çakır Caddesi & Şişhane Caddesi, Edirnekapı | late 13th century in its current form
Monastery of Stoudios (Imrahor Mosque) | İmam Aşir Sokak, Mühendis Ali Sokak & Mahsen Sokak, Samatya | around 460
Church of Theotokos Chalkoprateia | Alemdar Caddesi, Zeynep Sultan Cami Sokak, Salkım Söğüt Sokak & Yerebatan Caddesi, Cağaloğlu | 5th century; the chapels – second half of 6th century
Church of Saint Polyeuctus | Saraçhane Archaeological Park, Fatih | 524-527
Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus | Küçük Ayasofya Cami Sokak, between Sultanahmet, Cankurtaran & Kadırga | 527-536
Hagia Sophia | Ayasofya Square, Sultanahmet | Isidore of Miletus & Anthemius of Tralles, 532-537; many later changes and additions
Hagia Eirene | first courtyard of Topkapı Palace, Cankurtaran | original church – early 4th century; current church – 548, altered in 753
Monastery of Lips (Fenâri Îsâ Mosque) | Adnan Menderes Bulvarı, Ahmediye Caddesi, Şair Fuzuli Sokak & Halıcılar Caddesi, Fatih | Church of Theotokos Panachrantos – 907-908; Church of Hagios Ioannis Prodromos – 1281-1304; exonarthex–parekklesion – early 14th century
Rotunda of Myrelaion | Aksaray Caddesi, Mesihpaşa Caddesi, Laleli Caddesi & Şair Haşmet Sokak, Laleli | 5th century; converted into a cistern in early 10th century
Church of Myrelaion (Bodrum Mosque) | Aksaray Caddesi, Mesihpaşa Caddesi, Laleli Caddesi & Şair Haşmet Sokak, Laleli | 920-922
Katholikon of the Monastery of Theotokos in Petra (Odalar Mosque) | Müftu Sokaĝi 20-22, Karagümrük | first church – 9th or 10th century; second church – mid- or late-12th century
Annex of the Monastery of Theotokos in Petra (Kasım Ağa Mosque) | Koza Sokak, Karagümrük | 13th-15th century
Church of Hagia Thekla of the Palace of Blachernae (Atik Mustafa Paşa Mosque, Hazreti Cabir Mosque) | Çember Sokak, Ayvansaray | mid-9th century; 1059
Church of Saint Mary of the Mongols | Tevkii Cafer Mektebi Sokak 1, Fener | original church – 11th century; narthex – 1281-1285; current modification – 18th century
Monastery of Christ Pantepoptes (Eski Imaret Mosque) | Küçük Mektepli Sokak 11, Zeyrek | 1085
Chapel of the Monastery of Menodora, Metrodora and Nymphodora (Chapel of the Monastery of Kyra Martha) (Manastır Mescidi) | Turgut Özal Millet Caddesi & Karanfilli Çavuş Sokak, Topkapı | late 11th century or the Palaiologan era
Church of Hagia Theodosia (Church of Hagia Euphemia in Petrio, Church of Christos Euergetes) (Gül Mosque) | Vakıf Mektebi Sokak 16, Ayakapı | late 11th or early 12th century
Monastery of Christ Pantocrator (Zeyrek Mosque) | İbadethane Arkası Sokak, İbadethane Sokak & Fazilet Sokak, Zeyrek | 1118-1136
Library of the Monastery of Christ Pantocrator (Şeyh Süleyman Mosque) | Zeyrek Caddesi 24, Zeyrek
Pantocrator Cistern (Unkapanı Cistern) | Atatürk Bulvarı, northeast of the katholikon | 6th or early 12th century
Church of Hagios Ioannis Prodromos in Troullo (Hirami Ahmet Paşa Mosque) | Koltukçu Sokak 4, Çarşamba | 9th or 12th century
Church of Hagios Theodoros in Karbounaria (Vefa Mosque, Molla Gürani Mosque) | Tirendaz Sokak, Molla Şemsettin Cami Sokak & Divan Efendi Sokak, Vefa | church proper – 11th or 12th century; exonarthex – 13th or 14th century
Church of Theotokos Kyriotissa (Kalenderhane Mosque) | 16 Mart Şehitleri Caddesi & Medrese Sokak, Vefa | 1190s; sanctuary – 6th-12th centuries
Monastery of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Fethiye Mosque) | Fethiye Kapısı Sokak, Çarşamba | church – late 11th or early 12th century; parecclesion – around 1310-1315
Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora (Kariye Mosque) | Kariye Cami Sokak 8, Edirnekapı | original church – early 4th century; foundations of current church – 1077-1081; current church – 1315-1321
Annex of the Monastery of Manuel the Armenian (Kefeli Mosque) | Kasap Sokak 23, Salmatomruk | late Byzantine period
Monastery of Christos Philanthropos Soter | in the sea wall east of the Topkapı Palace, Kennedy Caddesi, Cankurtaran | 14th century

Other Byzantine structures in Istanbul that should be visited and researched for this list to be complete include:

Column of Arcadius
Martyrion of Karpos and Papylos
Hagiasma and mosaic on Amiral Tafdil Sokak
Cistern of Mocius
Byzantine cistern now known as Sultan Cistern
Byzantine cistern in Gülhane Park
Palace of Botaneiates
Tower of Eirene
Monastery of Saint Andrew in Krisei (Koca Mustafa Paşa Mosque)
Monastery of Gastria (Sancaktar Hayrettin Mosque)
Annex of the Monastery of Hagios Ioannis Prodromos in Petra (Boğdan Sarayı)
Unknown Byzantine structure now known as İsa Kapı Mosque
Church of Panagia Kamariotissa
Byzantine sites of Hebdomon (Bakırköy)

The three Byzantine structures of big importance, with their original buildings replaced by newer structures (and thus included in my list of the post-1453 Greek sites of Istanbul) include the Church of Saint Mary of Blachernae, the Church of Saint Mary of the Spring, and the Church of Saint Mary of Peribleptos.