1. Introduction

1.1. Location and etymology of the name of the palace of Boukoleon

The palace of Boukoleon was lying at Constantinople, on the seashore of the Sea of Marmara, south of the Great Palace, east of the church of Saints Sergios and Bakchos¹ (fig. 1, 11).² Later, under Nikephoros II Phokas (963-969), the palace of Boukoleon incorporated a part of the Great Palace.³ Its name is connected with a marble stone composition that was situated on the dock of the harbor and depicted an ox (=gr. bous) and a lion (=gr. leon).⁴

1.2. History of the research

The first foundations of a systematic research for this monument were laid during the last decades of the 19^th century. Paspates, within the framework of a research of Constantinople’s topography and especially of the palaces, he was referred to the palace of Boukoleon.⁵ Later, Millingen studied the palace by combining the written sources with the observations of previous scholars.⁶ In 1934 followed the study of Mamboury and Wiegand that was based on surviving archaeological remains and produced a great number of ground-plans, photographs as well as hypothetical reconstructions.⁷ Afterwards, Guilland published a series of articles based mainly on the sources⁸, while Müller–Wiener speaking about the topography of Constantinople made more mention of the history of the monument.⁹ Finally Mango tried to locate the boundaries of the palace through the archaeological remains.¹⁰

1.3. Sources

It is not until 800 that the name Boukoleon was attested in the written sources for the first time (ἐπὶ τὸν Βουκολέοντα καὶ τὴν Σιδηρᾶν διαβιβάσας).¹¹ Kinnamos¹² and Leo Grammatikos¹³ report that its western part functioned as prison while Patria of Constantinople designate the location of the palace and discern it from the palace of Hormisdas.¹⁴ The texts of the 9^th and the 10^th century are referring to the shore and the harbor under this name, while occasionally to the balcony of the palace as well, looking out to the harbor.¹⁵ Finally, Anna Komnene in Alexiad identifies the name of Boukoleon with the palace lying above (τὸ ὑπερκείμενον παλάτιον).¹⁶

2. Architectural phases of the palace

From the present form of the imperial complex few parts of its internal areas are preserved, thus making difficult the reconstruction of its ground-plan. More precisely, above the foundations and within the remains was opened a railway (1871) connecting Constantinople with Europe (fig. 2).¹⁷ In a parallel manner, its seaward side was raised to the ground and now a road of wide circulation that runs around the whole seawall of the Sea of Marmara, crosses through. Nevertheless, Guilland believes that only the upper store of the palace was habitable and functioned as a mansion, while the lower part was used as barracks or encampment for sailors.¹⁸

The first building phase of the complex is attributed to the emperor Theodosios II (408-450)¹⁹ and someone must look for it all along the walls of the shore of Marmara, from the gate of lions (Catladikapı) until the place where Nea Ekklesia was erected.²⁰ The fragmentary archaeological remains, however, can not be of any help to this identification.²¹

A first rebuilding of the palace took place during the reign of Theophilos (829-843). Later, the emperor Nikephoros II Phokas (963-969) planed the erection of new walls. This contributed to the destruction of many buildings, to the transformation of the Great Palace to a fortress-citadel, as well as to the integration of a part of the Great Palace within the palace of Boukoleon.²² This conclusion is based on the text of Nikolaos Mesarites as well as on archaeological evidence such as the preservation of the walls on the location Kapı ağası camii²³ and on the western perimeter of the palace²⁴ (fig. 3-4).²⁵

During the late Byzantine period, the palace was abandoned by the Palaiologoi and was turned into prison. Later, in the first ottoman centuries in this place was built a quarter.²⁶

Based on archaeological remains and the drawings we can partly reconstruct the façade of the palace. More precisely, the upper part of the façade of the west side, until the year 1871, according to the drawings of Choisuel Gouffier, was ornated with a blind arcade, at the edge of which there were marble lions²⁷ [9^th century- fig. 5)]. The lions are now kept in the Archaeological Museum of Constantinople.²⁸ A little further to the east there was a small gateway that secured the access to the palace (fig. 6).²⁹ On the eastern side of the imperial staircase for disembarking, beneath the palace of Boukoleon, a trapezoid cistern was found with six columns³⁰ (fig. 7). Finally, its eastern wing was constituted by continuous halls overlooking the sea and lighted by wide windows with marble window-frames, whereas there were balconies rested on consoles. Inside the palace were preserved in fragments the cross-vaults.³¹ (fig. 8)

3. Sculptured decoration

The only sculptured decoration still preserved is that of the column capitals of the cistern. These column capitals are of the ionic order with dosseret and have upon their narrow side the symbol of the cross (fig. 7). They are dated to the 6^th century.³²