Middle Byzantine Parekklesia of Constantinople: Their History, Purpose, and New Data

Recent restoration projects in Istanbul have brought to light new evidence related to the middle Byzantine (843–1204) churches of Istanbul. In particular, archaeological excavations have exposed previously unknown parts of the monastic churches. This article provides a brief construction history of the middle Byzantine churches of Istanbul and their later additions, and elucidates the purpose for which the latter were built. Thus, together with written sources, archaeological data may improve our understanding of these constructions. In particular, this article discusses the recent discovery of a funerary chapel outside the Pantokrator complex and the parekklesia unearthed at Vefa Kilise Camii.

The Sekbanbaşı Mescidi or a Lesser-Known Middle Byzantine Church Typology at Constantinople

Cross-in-square churches are an exceptional feature for the middle Byzantine architecture of Constantinople. The simpler variant of this architectural type is widely known from ‘provincial’ contexts but appears seldomly throughout the city. It should not be absent from modern scholarship, since some few examples of this type of church had survived well into the early 20th century. Because of this paucity of scholarship, the history, functions, and phases of these small edifices are mostly unknown. The now lost Sekbanbaşı Mescidi is a case in point.

Reinventing the Capital: The Ideological Use of Monumental Architecture in Michael VIII Palaiologos’ Constantinople (1261–1282)

After the recapture of Constantinople (1261), Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259–82) re-shaped the city through extensive building activities. Though scholars have previously considered the involvement of Emperor Michael in the urban restoration of the capital, no attention has been devoted to the links between the different aspects of this programme of renewal. This paper advocates for the presence of an ambitious and systematic urban plan behind Michael VIII’s commissions focussed on the restoration of the southern shore of Constantinople and related to the political, religious, ideological, and aesthetic policies of this emperor.

Seeing the Unseen: Plaster Reliefs in Middle Byzantine Constantinople

This paper discusses the scarce, but crucial evidence for plaster reliefs in Constantinople between the ninth and the thirteenth centuries. While many plaster reliefs survived in the Balkan peninsula, there is room to confirm that they were also used in the capital. Plaster reliefs were a quick substitution for marble, but could also answer aesthetic needs and architectural conventions that continued from Late Antiquity in to Middle and Late Byzantine architecture, even with some changes.

Guardian of Eden, Guardian of the City: The Lost Mosaic of the Archangel Michael in Hagia Sophia of Constantinople

This contribution aims to shed light on the lost mosaic of the Archangel Michael with a drawn sword once set, according to Niketas Choniates, in a πρόναος of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. After an overview of previous hypotheses, I will argue for a position just outside of the south-west vestibule of the church in the 10th century. Such a location and dating would be in line with the connotation of the Archangel as defender of a sacred space, perceived as a sort of Eden in Byzantine textual and visual sources. The spread of similar representations confirms the role of a reference point that the mosaic soon acquired by virtue of its position at the ceremonial entrance of the most important church of the Empire, not to mention its political importance. The ideological character of the Archangel went a step further during the last centuries of the Empire. A unique use of the First Arab Siege of Constantinople as a stage for St. Michael’s role as sword-wielding guardian in a 14th century Serbian painting is more broadly reflective of a theme throughout Byzantine artistic tradition in varied media. This representation reflected the duty of the Archangel not just as guardian of Hagia Sophia, but also of the emperor, Constantinople and the Empire in a broader sense.

Monastic Pathways on the Fourth and Fifth Hills of Constantinople (Eleventh–Fifteenth Centuries)

The area between the so-called Fourth and Fifth hills of Constantinople is known for its monasteries, especially those from the Komnenian and Palaiologan periods. In general, this part of the city was less urbanised and was therefore suitable for monastic life, but it was intimately connected with various aspects of social, economic, and scholarly activity. The present article examines monuments and itineraries in this area within the urban context and the ceremonial topography of medieval Constantinople in order to highlight the place of these monastic neighborhoods in the Byzantine capital’s public life.

Dropping the Base: Why Does Follis Production at Constantinople Appear to Cease for 24 Years between 842–866?

This article considers a period of Byzantine numismatic history where production at its main mint, in Constantinople, appears to cease altogether for at least 24 years, and arguably 26 or more years. It almost needs no stating that this is extraordinarily unusual in the numismatic record, and yet the topic has never been covered in more than a paragraph before. In this article, based upon my paper of the same title given to the International Congress of Byzantine Studies in Nicosia in January 2020, I will explore the problem, setting it in its historical context and contrasting this cessation with others that scholars are aware of. I will argue that the pause in production was not accidental and can neither be explained in the context of the monetary contraction of the late seventh to early ninth centuries, nor by archaeological quirk. Rather, I will contend that this apparent cessation was a deliberate policy of the Empress Theodora and the regency council for Michael III, and that its subsequent continuation under the Caesar Bardas was perhaps more incidental, until the coronation of Basil brought the drive to restart production in Michael and Basil’s names.