Palace of the Porphyrogenitus, Istanbul

The Palace of the Porphyrogenitus is also called the Tekfur Sarayı which translates to "Palace of the Sovereign" from the Turkish language. This is a thirteenth century Byzantine Palace located in the North West part of Istanbul. This palace is actually an annex of the great palace complex of Blachernae, and today, it is one of the only intact examples of Byzantine architecture in the world.

Constructed during the twelfth or the thirteenth century, the palace was built as a part of the Palace complex of Blachernae by Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos for his son Constantine Palaiologos. Most visitors mistake it to be built for the emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus. The term "Porphyrogenitus" means “Born to the Purple” which indicates that the child has been born to a ruling Emperor. The Porphyrogenitus palace served as an Imperial Residence of Emperors until the final days of the Byzantine Empire.

The Palace was located at the North corner of the Theodosian Walls, and it was a three story building. It suffered extensive damage caused by the invading Ottomans and also by earthquakes. Today the courtyard is present which is overlooked by 5 large windows. The remnant of a balcony is also present on the East.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Gryffindor.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Istanbul. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Sight Name: Palace of the Porphyrogenitus
Sight Location: Istanbul, Turkey (See walking tours in Istanbul)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

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