Hagios Polieuktos Church Ruins
Hagios Polieuktos Church is a church from the Eastern Roman period in Istanbul. It was built between 524-527 in memory of the Roman soldier Polieuktos, who was killed for being a Christian. Before Hagia Sophia, the church, which was one of the largest basilicas in the city, was located in the area corresponding to today's Saraçhane, between the Tauri Forum and Constantinus Martirion. It is understood that the church was abandoned in the 12th century and its architectural decorations were looted before and by the Crusaders. Some fragments from the Church of San Marco in Venice and the decorated buttresses in the Piazetta were taken from this church. It is famous for its decorations, column capitals, which are among the most important examples of late Roman art, and its architectural splendor. It is said that the church is the church of the former palace of Anikia Juliana. It was built on an area of 2500 square meters. The ruins of the church were discovered while the underground passage was being built in the 1960s. The ruins, which can be seen near the Istanbul Municipality Palace today, were last cleaned by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality in August 2020.
