Departmental Papers (History of Art)

The Byzantine Church at Enez: Problems in Twelfth-Century Architecture

Robert G. Ousterhout — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 08:50:31 PDT

The large and impressive Byzantine church known as Fatih Camii was built at Enez in Turkish Thrace was first published by Eyice in 1969. Since that time, it has been noted by Vango and Vocotopoulos, but has otherwise received little scholarly attention. The church is not securely dated and its original dedication is unknown, but its size alone indicates that the foundation was accorded importance. The plan measures approximately 21 x 38 meters, and is thus larger than almost all of the Middle and Late Byzantine churches of Constantinople.

A Byzantine Chapel at Didymoteicho and its Frescoes

Robert G. Ousterhout — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 08:48:39 PDT

The fortified citadel of Didymoteicho in Greek Thrace figured prominently in Late Byzantine history. It had been an imperial residence and a major military and administrative center since the mid-13th century, and throughout the remainder of its Byzantine history, it maintained close relations with Constantinople. Andronicus III resided in Didymoteicho during the 1320s, prior to his accession to the throne in 1328. With the proclamation of John VI Cantacuzenus as emperor in Didymoteicho in 1341, the city became his de facto capital, from which he launched his disastrous civil war.

Building Medieval Constantinople

Robert G. Ousterhout — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 08:09:02 PDT

The visitor to modem Istanbul is often struck by the dramatic contrasts of the city: ostentatious displays of wealth appear side by side with poverty and squalor; the decrepid hovels of the poor lie in the shadows of monuments of past glory; at the same time, a new city rises amid the ruins of antiquity. How much has the character of the city changed since Byzantine times?

Reconstructing ninth-century Constantinople

Robert G. Ousterhout — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 13:04:04 PST

In 879, following what was called a "victorious return from campaign", the Emperor Basil I staged a triumphal entry into the city of Constantinople. After spending the night at Hebdomon, he moved in solemn procession toward the city, stopping for a costume change at the monastery of the Avraamites before passing through the Golden Gate.