Church Of The Holy Apostles (Constantinople)
The church of the Holy Apostles is a Byzantine church in Constantinople, now defunct. It was founded by Constantine from the foundation of the city.
Summary |
History
Constantine , at the founding of the church, and placed the relics of several apostles. He had planned a location for his own grave. The Byzantines called this church or polyandrion Myriandrion.
Justinian and Theodora in rebuilding the 520 - 550 , giving it a Greek cross plan and the overcoming of a large dome. The basilica was richly decorated by Justin II.
Imperial Necropolis
This church became imperial necropolis and the tombs of most emperors took place, divided between two mausoleums outside, one north and one south of the apse , the hero, that of Constantine and of Justinian. The church itself contained no tomb. Each Heroon contained either modern or ancient tombs, no chronological order having been observed in their group. Dethier, a scholar who lived in Constantinople, who was very familiar with the topography of the medieval city, were 19 for Heroon sarcophagi of Constantine, 17 to that of Justinian. Byzantios, a modern Greek writer, has five more for the first and nine more in the second.
Relic
The relics held by the shrine have been numerous: those of the Holy Apostles Andrew , Luke , Timothy , the first bishop of Ephesus and Matthew , and also those of moneyless Saints Cosmas and Damian.
Tombs
All around the walls of the Holy Apostles ran sumptuous porticoes, stoai, along which the coffins had been arranged a few isolated Basileis. All marble sarcophagi were, it seems, entirely covered with dazzling ornaments, a sort of sheath formed by plates of silver, inlaid with precious stones or crimped. The effect was magnificent and the view blinding when the sun hit them. Most of the lids of the sarcophagi were shaped roof. In addition to the external magnificence, each coffin contained the jewels of all kinds.
The patriarchs had their own shrine to the Holy Apostles. We kept the name of many who were buried there, especially that of St. John Chrysostom.
Destruction of the church
The tombs were desecrated and looted by Alexis Angel who used their treasures to buy peace with the Crusaders. These cross the break and spoil the night of 13 to 14 April 1204. They are permanently destroyed by the dervish fanatics of Mohammed II. According Critoboulos, they spent fourteen hours to break the last vestiges of blows to the masses and iron bars.
The largest mosque in Istanbul , the Fatih Camii, or "Mosque of the Conqueror ( Mehmet II ) was built on the foundations of this church. In the streets of Istanbul, one can still see tanks polished marble: some think that these are the remains of sarcophagi in the church.
Sources
- Gustave Schlumberger, a Byzantine emperor in the tenth century, Nicephorus Phocas, ed. Boccard, 1923
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