DAI Online Lectures: Constantinople in Late Antiquity

Constantinople in Late Antiquity: Sacred Space and Urban Topography After Constantinople was inaugurated by the emperor Constantine in 330 CE, the city quickly earned its reputation as the New Rome. Protected by virtually unbreachable fortifications, it housed the imperial palace, the famous hippodrome, and a plethora of magnificent churches. As capital of the Medieval Roman Empire, Constantinople survived various threads and challenges until it eventually fell to the Ottomans in 1453. With this event, we are focusing on Constantinople’s formative period in Late Antiquity, asking how the city rose from one of several imperial residences in the fourth century to the undisputed political and religious center of the Eastern Mediterranean. The presentations approach late antique Constantinople from various perspectives: they investigate the architectural intricacies of religious buildings and how they expressed their founder’s ambitions; they offer insights into spaces that stood out due to the lack of monumenta