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CONSTANTINOPLE AND THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE

Monday 11th May 330 CE - Tuesday 29th May 1453 CE

I am dedicating this page to John Julius, The Viscount Norwich, whose brilliant Trilogy "Byzantium" led me to an infinitely deeper awareness, understanding and appreciation of that Empire's unique greatness.

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Once out of nature I shall never take
My bodily form from any natural thing,
But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make
Of hammered gold and gold enameling
To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;
Or set upon a golden bough to sing
To lords and ladies of Byzantium
Of what is past, or passing, or to come.
W.B.Yeats
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When I began to build the page "My Gallery Vol. II", I wrote that there would be an emphasis on "....things Byzantine" because of its overwhelming influence on the course of world history and - much more immediately and directly - on the history of the Holy Land. I hadn't progressed very far at all, when I realised that, at the rate I was finding items, together with the ideas and comments formulating in my mind, there was no way in which Byzantium and Constantinople could share a page with other topics. So I have re-arranged the "My Gallery Vol. II" page while it is still in its infancy and transferred my attention to Byzantium and Constantinople. Later - if I ever finish with "The Byzantine Empire" - I will return to "My Gallery Vol. II" and more general themes. So let me put in place the thumbnails that I have accumulated so far, in the certainty that there will be more to follow - and we'll take it from there!

By the way - you'll notice that there are several of the more popular views of Istanbul which appear to be almost identical; that's because its such a beautiful and exciting city that I can't resist looking at it from different angles and reminding myself of the endless pleasure I have visiting the city. I hope you agree with me!


Constantine the Great

Constantine and Justinian - The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul 'The Resurrection' - The Chora Church frescoes and mosaics, Istanbul The Arch of Constantine - Rome The 'Blue' Mosque & Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
The Obelisk - the Hippodrome, Istanbul The German Fountain - the Hippodrome, Istanbul The Sultan Mehmet II
The Hagia Eirene - Topkapi, Istanbul The Hippodrome I - Istanbul The Hagia Sophia John Chrysostom - the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
The Rumeli Hisari - Istanbul 'Battle of the Milvian Bridge' - Raphael The Column of Constantine - Istanbul
Joseph & Mary at the Census - the Chora Church frescoes and mosaics, Istanbul John Comnenus II & the Empress Eirene - The Hagia Sophia 'The Woman of Faith' - the Chora Church frescoes and mosaics, Istanbul The Hippodrome II - Istanbul
The Blue Mosque The Yerebatan (Justinian) Cistern - Istanbul Istanbul
The Emperor Alexius Comnenus I The Yerebatan (Justinian) Cistern - Istanbul The Coronation Dais - Hagia Sophia - Istanbul

If you are thinking of visiting Istanbul (and I hope you are!), then allow me to recommend a web site:
http://www.business-with-turkey.com/tourist-guide/index.html;
and a guide who speaks Portuguese, English, German and Turkish.

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