Architecture, Byzantine; Byzantine Empire; Istanbul (Turkey) -- Description and travel; Justinian I, Emperor of the East, 483?-565
After this, out of his exceeding great reverence for all the
Apostles,[15] he did as follows. In ancient times there was one
church at Byzantium dedicated to all the Apostles, but through length
of time it had become ruinous, and seemed not likely to stand much
longer. Justinian took this entirely down, and was careful not only to
rebuild it, but to render it more admirable both in size and beauty;
he carried out his intention in the following manner. Two lines were
drawn in the form of a cross, joining one another in the middle, the
upright one pointing to the rising and setting sun, and the other
cross line towards the north and the south wind. These were surrounded
by a circuit of walls, and within by columns placed both above and
below; at the crossing of the two straight lines, that is, about the
middle point of them, there is a place set apart, which may not be
entered except by the priests, and which is consequently termed the
Sanctuary. The transepts which lie on each side of this, about the
cross line, are of equal length; but that part of the upright line
towards the setting sun is built so much longer than the other part
as to form the figure of the cross. That part of the roof which is
above the Sanctuary is constructed like the middle part of the Church
of Sophia, except that it yields to it in size; for the four arches
are suspended and connected with one another in the same fashion, the
circular building standing above them is pierced with windows, and the
spherical dome which overarches it seems to be suspended in the air,
and not to stand upon a firm base, although it is perfectly secure. In
this manner the middle part of the roof is built: now the roof over the
four limbs of the church is constructed of the same size as that which
I have described over the middle, with this one exception, that the
wall underneath the spherical part is not pierced with windows. When
he had completed the building of this Sanctuary, the Apostles made it
evident to all that they were pleased and thoroughly delighted with
the honour paid them by the Emperor; for the bodies of the Apostles
Andrew, Luke, and Timothy, which had before this been invisible and
altogether unknown, were then made manifest to all men, signifying,
I imagine, that they did not reject the faith of the Emperor, but
permitted him openly to behold them, to approach and to touch them,
that he might gain from them assistance and security for his life. This
was discovered in the following manner.
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