Palace of the Porphyrogenitus

The Porphyrogenitus Palace ( Palace of Constantine Porphyrogenitus or even Tekfur Palace; Turkish Tekfur Sarayı, "Palace of the Emperor ") is a Byzantine palace from the 13th century in the northwestern part of the old city of Istanbul.

The Porphyrogenitus Palace was probably built in the late 13th century. Between pre-and main wall inserted into the Walls of, he was a part of the palace district to Blachernae Palace. The Palace of Constantine Porphyrogenitus was not named after Emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus, who reigned in the 10th century; he was born long after his time. The palace was named after Constantine Palaiologos Porphyrogenitus, a son of Emperor Michael VIII. Porphyrogenitus or Porphyrogenitus, ie " The Purple -born " in this context was the nickname of a member of the ruling family, which, like Constantine Palaiologos was the son of the Byzantine emperor in purple chamber of the imperial palace, and as heir to the Byzantine throne came into question.

After the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans Opel 1453, the palace served as part of the menagerie of the Sultan, and later as a brothel, then as a ceramic manufactory and poorhouse before it was left to decay in the 17th century. There remained only the outer perimeter of the palace obtained with the facade of red brick and white marble. This characteristic change of material was used as a design tool to the use of broad layers of ashlar masonry, followed by layers of thin bricks with wide mortar layers in between to create a polychrome of the masonry. The Tekfur Palace is the only significant example of secular architecture Byzantine Constantinople, which remained until today. Since 2006, extensive restoration work is carried out at the Palace.

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Remains of the Chapel ( south wall )

Polychrome masonry ( south wall )

Repair of the south wall, August 2006.