Image: Hagia Irene, built in the 4th century at the place where the old church of the bishop of Byzantium stood before the refoundation of Constantine the Great, destroyed by fire in 532 AD and then rebuilt, Istanbul (40654254081)

Description: The Hagia Irene stands on what is believed to be the oldest site of Christian worship in Istanbul. Roman Emperor Constantine I ordered the church in the 4th century, making it the first church built in Constantinople. After being burned down during the Nike revolt in 532, Emperor Justinian I had the church restored in 548. By then the Patriarchate had already moved to the Hagia Sophia, which was completed in 537. Restorations were again required in the 8th century after severe damages caused by an earthquake.
Title: Hagia Irene, built in the 4th century at the place where the old church of the bishop of Byzantium stood before the refoundation of Constantine the Great, destroyed by fire in 532 AD and then rebuilt, Istanbul (40654254081)
Credit: Hagia Irene, built in the 4th century at the place where the old church of the bishop of Byzantium stood before the refoundation of Constantine the Great, destroyed by fire in 532 AD and then rebuilt, Istanbul
Author: Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
License: CC BY-SA 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes