Byzantine Istanbul: a Self-Guided Tour

For over 1000 years, Constantinople thrived as the "New Rome", the capital of the Byzantine Empire. During this time the wealth of the empire was used to create masterpieces of architecture and art, many of which still remain in Istanbul to this day. This collection of pleasant walks reveals the splendid legacy of the Byzantines. From the magnificent domed nave of the Hagia Sophia to the majestic remains of the 1500 year-old Theodosian land walls, from the exquisite mosaics of the Chora Church to the Greek Orthodox churches of the Bosphorus and Fener, this book explores some of the finest treasures Istanbul has to offer. Against a backdrop of monuments, churches, palaces and sacred springs, the history, culture, art and religion of the Byzantines are presented and explained. Anecdotes introduce the figures and events that shaped the Byzantine era.