Constantinople, the new Jerusalem
Under the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-565), Constantinople was not only the political capital of a huge empire (stretching from the Caucasus to the Atlantic!), but also a religious capital. The emperor, representative of God on earth, built what will be the greatest religious building for a thousand years (until the construction of St. Peter's in Rome): the Basilica of Saint Sophia. Its name comes from the Greek hagiasophia and means "divine wisdom". Not only is the building gigantic, but it is overhung by a dome emblematic of Byzantine architecture. This dome is a simple representation of the celestial sphere: the sky with its king, God, represented by his son and, vertically, lower down in the nave, the emperor who is God's lieutenant on earth. More than a thousand years separate it from the other mosques of the city, to which it served as a model. It will be transformed into a mosque by Mehmet II, before Atatürk makes a museum of it that millions of visitors come to discover each year. The Hagia Sophia that we contemplate today is the sum of Byzantine and Ottoman arts. Among the most accomplished Byzantine works is the Orthodox Church of St. Savior in Chora (in ancient Greek, hora means "outside the city", "in the countryside"). If the Basilica of Saint Sophia can impress by its immense character, it is on a human scale and allows more proximity with its masterpieces, including beautiful mosaics. It was built in the eleventh century (the mosaics date from the thirteenth century) and will be transformed into a mosque during the Ottoman period. During this period, the mosaics were covered with lime, which allowed to keep them intact. Note that it is in this church that the color black was used for the first time in the art of mosaics. For lovers of Byzantine mosaics, the museum of mosaics of the Grand Palace is located in the heart of the historic city. It has one of the most important sets of mosaics of thefifth and sixth centuries, perfectly preserved. The mosaics, frescoes, icons, or miniatures occupied a very important place in the field of knowledge and education. They represented the biblical history and thus constituted a kind of book for the illiterate, allowing them to better understand the Christian doctrine. Later, between the 8th and 10th centuries, religious representations were forbidden. Within the temples, gold, silver, mosaics, polished marble, precious stones produce rays that represent the divine light.
Other vestiges of the Empire
Another of the capital's landmarks was the gigantic racecourse, which could accommodate between 30,000 and 50,000 people. It was here that the "supporters" of the coachmen wore their colors: green and blue. The clashes sometimes took a political turn: the greens wanted reform, the blues were more traditionalist. As the Ottomans were not interested in horse racing, the racecourse was not preserved. At the time, it was called At Meydanı (Horse Square), and the walls and bleachers gave way to other buildings such as Ibrahim Pasha's palace and the Blue Mosque. Today, the hippodrome still features the obelisk of Theodosius (from the temple of Karnak in Egypt), around which the horses used to turn. Covered with hieroglyphics on all four sides, it stands 25 metres high. The Serpentine Column is one of Istanbul's oldest monuments. Dating from the5th century BC, it was originally erected in front of the temple of Apollo at Delphi. It depicted 3 intertwined snakes, forming 26 spirals over a height of 8 metres. Sadly, not much remains of the original, and the snakes' heads have disappeared, as the city has suffered two major fires and earthquakes. From the reign of Constantine also survives the 32-metre-high Column of Constantine, erected in the 4th century. This column was originally encircled in bronze, later replaced by metal rings, giving it its name in Turkish: Çemberlitaş (encircled column). It stood at the center of Constantine's forum, now occupied by caravanserais, a hammam and a mosque.
The Empire's building capacity was essential to its survival. Its immense walls withstood a multitude of assaults, right up to the advent of cannons. Under the reign of Constantine, new defensive fortifications were erected, and consolidated by Theodosius II in 413. The entire city was protected by 6.5 km of ramparts, with walls 12 to 15 meters high, 13 gates and 188 towers. This structure enabled the city to withstand a formidable invader: Attila, who never took Constantinople. Following the Ottoman invasion, the wall was neglected. In recent years, restoration work has been undertaken, but subsequently abandoned. It has to be said that it doesn't have a very good reputation. It's inhabited by the homeless, bottles and garbage litter the ground, and the base of its walls is blackened by fires lit here and there. Other examples of construction include aqueducts and cisterns capable of supplying a population approaching 500,000. The basilica cistern(Yerebatan Sarnıcı) dating from 542, built under Justinian, is still intact. Situated on the site of an ancient basilica, hence its name, it was discovered by chance by the Ottomans, who used it to supply water to the Topkapi Palace. When you visit it, you have to imagine it filled with 78,000m3 of water. Inside, there are 336 similar columns, except for three: "The peacock-eyed column", engraved with the eyes of a peacock, is said to pay homage to the slaves who dug the cistern. Visitors come to touch it, their eyes still wet with tears. Then there are the two Medusa-headed columns at the bottom of the cistern: one with its head down, the other on its side. There's no real explanation for the presence of these mythological figures, but it's likely that they were reused from ancient Roman monuments. Some say they were used to ward off evil spirits. Before leaving, it's customary to toss a coin to the carp swimming in the cistern's waters - they'll grant your wishes! It's hardly surprising that its mysterious setting has inspired filmmakers, and some film scenes have been shot here(Good Kisses from Russia, Inferno). The tank reopened its doors in 2022 after 2 years of renovation, a real success story. It is now more resistant to earthquakes. In addition, there are two other cisterns open to the public: Theodosius II's cistern, Serefiye Sarnıcı, has been open to the public since 2018. It hosts temporary exhibitions and sometimes concerts. It is much smaller than the Basilica Cistern, but older, as it was built under Theodosius II in the5th century. It was only discovered in 2010, during construction work. The other cistern, known as the Cistern of 1001 Columns (there are only 224!), is unfortunately used for private events. Nevertheless, it can be visited, and its columns, which can reach 13 to 15 meters, are taller than those of the other cisterns. Engraved on the columns are monograms left by the workers. A little above the cistern-basilica, in a hidden corner, are the only remains of the Million of Constantinople built under Constantine(Milyon Taşı). This monument, erected for the entire duration of the Eastern Roman Empire (over a thousand years), was the point of origin of distances for all the Empire's routes to Thebes, Petra, Cordoba, Genoa, Carthage... This edifice represented the center of the world under the Byzantine Empire. All geographical distances were measured from this "zero point".
The city came under attack from Persians, Huns and Bulgars, but from the 7thcentury onwards, the Arabs and their new religion became a threat. However, they never took Constantinople, even though they laid siege to it early on. The capital retained absolute supremacy on the seas, thanks in particular to the technique of Greek fire. In the middle of the 9th century, the Bulgarians converted to Christianity and a fierce, bloody struggle ensued between the two peoples, culminating in the victory of the most powerful emperor since Justinian: Basil II (hence his nickname "the Bulgar killer"). And let's not forget the Empire's only empress, Irene of Athens, who, on the death of her father, Leo IV, in 780, succeeded in ousting her brothers-in-law and established herself as regent of the Empire. Her son Constantine VI, only ten years old, was not fit to rule. It is said that she later had him blinded so that she could rule the Empire alone. She did not call herself Empress (wife of the Emperor), but Emperor.
The longevity of this Empire is explained by Constantine's judicious choices, which gave it exceptional resources. Another reason for its survival is the ideology of a universal Empire, consolidated by Christianity, which enabled it to resist until the end under sometimes harsh conditions. Constantinople was taken only once, in 1204, by Christians from Venice on the Fourth Crusade, who came to pillage it. Today, the quadriga we admire in Venice on St. Mark's Basilica once belonged to Constantinople's hippodrome. The Empire lived on for another 250 years, but Constantinople lost its grandeur until it was taken by Sultan Mehmet II. From then on, it became the capital of a new Empire, and was renamed Istanbul. When the Sultan entered the city on May 29, 1453, he was well aware that he belonged to the line of great emperors who had preceded him. The legacy of Constantinople remained, belonging to Istanbul and part of the city. This blend of the Roman and Ottoman Empires sums up the city, and even today, Istanbul continues to unify influences.
