Preservation of Sacred Relics
The prophet being touched, as a recompense, placed his own mantle over the shoulders of the poet. At that period, in order to obtain...
Sultan Yavuz Selim’s Reign
Inheritance Negotiations
The aged Sultan wanted to negotiate with his son Selim by appointing him successor among other princes on condition that Selim did not...
Evolution of State Treasury
The Importance of the Sultan’s Seal
One of the significant provisions in Fatih’s Lawbook pertains to the protection of the Sultan’s seal, indicating the growing...
Essentially Oriental character of Byzantine architecture
The Oriental love of splendour is shown in the piling up of domes and still more in facing the walls with slabs of marble,...
Koimesis or Dormitio in Nicaea
A type appearing more frequently is the domical church plan or the Greek-cross plan. The Koimesis, or Dormitio, in Nicaea (ninth century) has a...
Paul the Silentiary – the Magnificence of Hagia Sophia
Here are some short extracts from a famous encomium by Paul the Silentiary, in which he draws on the imagery of Hagia Sophia...