330AD: An Essential Center of the City

Detailed plan of the Great Palace, depicting its complexity and multitude of rooms and functions

The initial construction of the Great Palace began with the founding of Constantinople by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in 330 AD (1). As seen in the figure to the left which outlines the layout of the palace in great detail, the structure was an extravagant building meant to serve a multitude of important functions in the city. It was a cultural center, especially through its architecture, as it resembled other palaces of its time like the medieval palaces of Japan or the Kremlin at Moscow (2). Westbrook in his essay also writes that the Great Palace “had a high cultural significance, and exerted a significant influence on Western European architecture… and formed a link between Imperial Roman and mediaeval palaces.” (1)

Bust of Constantine the Great, for whom the Great Palace was built for. The palace served his private and public political functions. 

The Great Palace also served important political purposes for Constantine the Great and subsequent rulers during the Early Byzantine era, and these political purposes involved both the private and the public sector. The private political sector refers to the lodging of the ruler and contained the Daphne Palace, which was composed of imperial apartments and was probably the first and primary function of the Great Palace itself (1). The palace also contained a public sector, which, located in what was known as the “Lower Palace,” involved many administrative purposes including official receptions, assemblies, businesses of the court, and stationing of court officials and palace guards (1). These two sectors are important to note, as they change drastically in the years following this early Byzantine era.

Aerial depiction of the Great Palace, showing the neighboring Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia

Aerial depiction of the Great Palace, showing the neighboring Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia

It is clear that the Great Palace served an imperative and extremely significant purpose as the center of politics and culture of the city of Constantinople and the Early Byzantine Empire in many ways. This significance is further supplemented by its location and surroundings in the city. As seen in the plan to the left, the Hippodrome and the Hagia Sophia, two structures with special cultural significance at the time, neighbor the Great Palace. The Hippodrome was the site of horse and chariot racing, and the Hagia Sophia was a church known to be the hallmark of Byzantine architecture. Beyond the straightforward functionality of the Great Palace, its simple surroundings underscore its importance as a political and cultural structure in the city, which is a quality that changes quite significantly throughout the centuries following its construction