Agreement of Earlier and Later Sources
The evidence gathered from writers after the Turkish Conquest is in striking agreement with the descriptions given by authors who wrote before 1453. Earlier Byzantine and medieval writers describe the Church of the Holy Saviour in terms that closely match the later accounts. According to these sources, the church stood near the Church of St. George at the Mangana, and to the east of that sanctuary. Its position was close to the sea, directly behind the city walls, and facing the waters of the Sea of Marmora.
One of the most important features of the church was its Holy Spring. The spring was enclosed within the city walls, but at the same time it could be reached from outside the walls. This was possible because the water flowed through the wall to the seashore. In front of the wall, where the sacred water emerged, there was a small stretch of beach. This area was believed to possess healing powers, and people gathered there in the hope of recovery from illness. Such details appear consistently in both early and later descriptions, leaving little room for doubt Balkan Tours.
Taken together, these facts form a body of evidence that is clear, detailed, and mutually supporting. Nothing could be more convincing than the agreement of independent witnesses writing at different times.
Importance for the Topography of Byzantine Constantinople
A Fixed Point on the Eastern Shore
The correct identification of the Church of the Holy Saviour is of great importance for understanding the topography of Byzantine Constantinople, especially along the eastern shore of the promontory. Once this church is firmly established as a fixed point, it becomes much easier to locate other important buildings in the same district.
Topographical reconstruction depends heavily on such landmarks. Without them, scholars are forced to rely on speculation. With them, many long-debated questions can be resolved with far greater certainty.
Locating the Church of St. George Mangana
Using the Church of the Holy Saviour as a reference point, we are able to confirm the position of the Church of St. George at the Mangana. As already shown, this famous monastery must have stood slightly to the west of the Holy Saviour. The agreement between written sources and the physical features of the area supports this conclusion and strengthens our understanding of the Mangana district as a whole.
The Ruins Near İncili Köşk
Discovery During Railway Construction
This identification also helps to resolve another important question. In 1871, when the ground behind İncili Köşk was cleared for the construction of the Roumelian railway, extensive ruins were uncovered. The remains belonged to a large building measuring 322 feet in length and 53 feet in width. Among the debris were numerous marble columns and capitals, indicating that the structure had once been a building of great importance and splendour Early References After the Fall of Constantinople.
Competing Interpretations
Because some of the capitals appeared to be decorated with the heads of bulls and lions, Dr. Paspates concluded that the ruins were those of the famous Palace of the Bucoleon, a well-known imperial residence associated with maritime imagery.
However, this interpretation has not been universally accepted. Dr. Mordtmann, for example, argued that the ruins belonged instead to the Palace of the Mangana, an imperial residence built by Emperor Basil I. This palace is known from historical sources to have stood in the Mangana district, close to the Church of St. George and other imperial foundations.
When the evidence is considered as a whole, the identification of the Church of the Holy Saviour provides a solid foundation for reconstructing the eastern quarters of Byzantine Constantinople. It helps clarify the locations of major churches, monasteries, and imperial residences, and it allows archaeological discoveries to be interpreted with greater confidence. In this way, a single well-established landmark sheds light on an entire historical landscape.
