Byzantine Walls and Churches

The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque sits on the highest of Istanbul's seven hills, crowned by a single massive dome that appears to float above two tiers of windows. Built in the fifteen sixties, it was commissioned by Princess Mihrimah, the…

The Edirnekapi section of the Theodosian Walls stands out because of the massive, uneven stones that seem to erupt directly from the modern street level. These fortifications once marked the main processional entrance for Byzantine…

The Kariye Mosque features a series of cascading domes and exterior walls built from alternating bands of brick and stone. Originally known as the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora, this structure dates back to the eleventh century.…

The Palace of the Porphyrogenitus wears a facade of red brick and white stone arranged in rhythmic geometric patterns. This three-story structure is the only surviving civilian building from the Byzantine era in Istanbul. Once connected to…

Eğrikapı is marked by its jagged, crooked archway, set within a narrow section of the ancient Theodosian Walls. The name means crooked gate, reflecting how the street shifts abruptly to navigate the massive stone fortifications. Sultan…

A steep staircase leads to the narrow, timber-framed balcony of the Kazasker İvaz Efendi Mosque. Unlike the massive stone domes of Istanbul’s imperial mosques, this building sits tucked against a hillside, its upper story projecting…

The Church of Saint Mary of Blachernae sits behind a humble, fenced yard in a neighborhood where the city walls once met the sea. It is a small, quiet structure, yet for centuries, this site housed the most sacred relic in the Byzantine…