The Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople, 330

Built in the fourth century in Constantinople can be found the Church of the Holy Apostles. While very little remains, it still has great historical and architectural importance. 

The church served as a burial place of the Byantine Emperors and Patriarchs of Constantiople from the 4th century to the 11th century. The Church of the Holy Apostles was constructed under the rule of the Emperor Constantine the Great, who was the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity in 330. Constantine the Great made sure to include a large tomb for himself as well as 12 empty reliquaries in which he intended to place the relics of the Twelve Apostles. 1

Church plan from the VI century

The church was built in a cruciform shape and is attached to the round mausoleum of Constantine on the highest hill of the newly founded city. Construction started around the year of 330. However, before the church could be completed, Constantine the Great died in Nicomedia in 337. When the church was completed, the relic of Constantine the Great was transferred to the mausoleum of the Holy Apostles. Later, Constantine’s son procured the relics of St. Andrew, Luke and Timothy to be enshrined in the church. 

After two centuries of the church’s completion, the church required reconstruction. At the time, Emperor Justinian was in rule. The new church was designed by architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus. The new design of the church consists of a Greek cross along with five domes: one above each arm of the cross and one above the central bay where the arms intersected. The relics of Constantine were re-installed int he new church. In addition, a mausoleum was built for Justinian and his family at the northern arm. Once the church was completed, it was considered the second most important church in Constantinople, with the first being the Hagia Sophia.

Later, under the ruling of Emperor Basil I, The Church of Holy Apostles was renovated and enlarged in the 9th century. However, during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the church was devoted and looted. This meant that most of the reliquaries along with the gold and silver vessels were gone. The Crusaders robbed the imperial tombs of the gold and gems and not even Justinian’s tomb was spared. Once the city was recaptured by Michael VIII Palaeologus, a statue of the Archangel Michael was placed on top of the church to celebrate the recapturing. However, an earthquake toppled the state in 1328. The church was restored once again by Andonicus II Palaeologus but it was soon abandoned with the ending of the Byzantine Empire. Finally in 1461, Mehmet II demolished the church and began building right over the foundation. 2

The Fatih Mosque which sits over the foundation of the Church of Holy Apostles

Today, almost nothing remains of the Church of the Holy Apostles except for a few column pieces and stone blocks that remain in the courtyard of the Fatih Mosque which is what now stands in the place of the Byzantine church. 

Works Cited

1 Downey, Glanville (1959). "The Tombs of the Byzantine Emperors at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople". The Journal of Hellenic Studies. The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies. 79: 27–51. 

2 Ken Dark, Ferudun Özgümüş, New evidence for the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles from Fatih Camii, Istanbul, Oxford Journal of Archaeology, Volume 21, Number 4, November 2002, pp. 393- 413(21)