Byzantine Churches in Constantinople: Their History and ArchitectureVan Millingen, Alexander
Philosophy
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople: Their History and Architecture
Van Millingen, Alexander
Architecture, Byzantine; Church architecture -- Turkey -- Istanbul; Church buildings -- Turkey -- Istanbul
But the differences in the statements of the Russian pilgrims, as to the
particular church in which the relics of S. Theodosia were enshrined,
may be explained without charging any of the good men with a mistake, if
we remember that relics of the same saint might be preserved in several
sanctuaries; that the calendar of the Greek church celebrates four
saints bearing the name Theodosia;[272] and, lastly, that churches of
the same dedication stood in different quarters of the city. In fact, a
church dedicated to the Theotokos Euergetes stood on the Xerolophos
above the quarter of Psamathia.[273]
Stephen of Novgorod[274] makes it perfectly clear that he venerated the
relics of S. Theodosia in two different sanctuaries of the city, one of
them being a church beside the Golden Horn, the other standing on the
heights above Psamathia. So does the anonymous pilgrim.[274] The scribe
Alexander[276] found the relics of S. Theodosia both in the Pantokrator
and in the church of Kirmarta, above the quarter of Psamathia. It is
clear, therefore, that Zosimus,[277] who places the relics of S.
Theodosia in the monastery of 'Everghetis,' has in mind the church of
the Theotokos Euergetes above Psamathia, and not the church of S.
Saviour Euergetes which stood near S. Theodosia beside the Golden Horn.
NOTE
While Zosimus and Alexander agree in placing the relics of S.
Theodosia in a church in the region of Psamathia, they differ as to
the name of that church, the former naming it Everghetis, while the
latter styles it Kirmarta. As appears from statements found on pages
108, 163, 205 of the _Itinéraires russes_, the two sanctuaries were
closely connected. But however this discrepancy should be treated,
there can be no doubt that relics of S. Theodosia were exhibited, not
only in the church dedicated to her beside the Golden Horn, but also
in a church in the south-western part of the city. Nor can it be
doubted that a church in the latter quarter was dedicated to the
Theotokos Euergetes.
That several churches should have claimed to possess the relics of the
heroine who championed the cause of eikons, assuming that all the
Russian pilgrims had one and the same S. Theodosia in mind, is not
strange. Many other popular saints were honoured in a similar fashion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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