Nea Ekklesia

{{Dablink|This page is about the ''Nea Ekklesia'' of Constantinople. For the namesake 6th-century church in Jerusalem, see ''[[Nea Ekklesia of the Theotokos]]''.}} The '''''Nea Ekklēsia''''' ({{lang-el|{{polytonic|Νέα Ἐκκλησία}}}}, "New Church") was a church built by [[Byzantine Emperor]] [[Basil I the Macedonian]] in [[Constantinople]] between the years 876–80. It was the first monumental church built in the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] capital after the [[Hagia Sophia]] in the 6th century, and marks the beginning of middle period of [[Byzantine architecture]]. It continued in use until the [[Palaiologan period]]. Used as a gunpowder magazine by the Ottomans, the building was destroyed in 1490 after being struck by lightning. In English usage, the church is usually referred to as '''The Nea.''' ==History== [[Image:Solidus-Basil I with Constantine and Eudoxia-sb1703.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Gold ''[[solidus]]'' of Emperor Basil I, with his son Constantine and Empress [[Eudokia Ingerina]].]] Emperor Basil I was the founder of the [[Macedonian dynasty]], the most successful in Byzantine history. Basil regarded himself as a restorer of the empire, a new [[Justinian]], and initiated a great building program in Constantinople in emulation his great predecessor. The ''Nea'' was to be Basil’s [[Hagia Sophia]], with its very name, "New Church", implying the beginning of a new era. The church was built under the personal supervision of Basil, in the southeastern corner of the [[Great Palace of Constantinople|Great Palace]] complex, near the location of the earlier ''[[tzykanisterion|tzykanistērion]]'' ([[polo]] field). Basil built another church nearby, the "[[Theotokos of the Pharos]]". The ''Nea'' was consecrated on 1 May 880 by [[Patriarch of Constantinople|Patriarch]] [[Photios I of Constantinople|Photius]], and dedicated to [[Jesus Christ]], the archangel [[St Michael|Michael]] (in later sources, [[Gabriel]]), the Prophet [[Elijah]] (one of Basil’s favorite saints), the [[Virgin Mary]] and [[St Nicholas]]. It is indicative of Basil's intentions for this church that he endowed it with its own administration and estates, on the model of the Hagia Sophia. During his and his immediate successors’ reign, the ''Nea'' played an important role in palace ceremonies, and at least until the reign of [[Constantine VII]], the anniversary of its consecration was a major dynastic feast. At some point in the late 11th century it was turned into a monastery, and was known as the "New Monastery" (Νέα Μονή). Emperor [[Isaac II Angelos]] stripped it of much of its decoration, its furniture and liturgical vessels, and used them to restore the church of St Michael at Anaplous. The building continued to be used by the [[Latin Empire|Latins]] and survived the [[Palaiologan period]] until after the [[Fall of Constantinople|Ottoman conquest]] of the city. The Ottomans however used it for gunpowder storage. Thus in 1490, when the building was struck by a lightning, it was destroyed and subsequently torn down. As a result, the only information we have about the church comes from literary evidence, especially the mid-10th century ''Vita Basilii'', as well a few crude depictions in maps. ==Description== [[Image:Constantinople imperial district.png|thumb|right|200px|Map of the Great Palace district. The approximate location of the ''Nea Ekklēsia'' is marked on the southern end.]] As noted, not much is known about the details of the structure. The church was built with five domes: the central dome was dedicated to Christ while the four smaller ones housed chapels of the four other saints to whom the church was dedicated. The exact arrangement of the domes and the type of the church are disputed. Most scholars consider it to have been a [[cross-in-square]] structure, similar to the later [[Myrelaion]] and [[Lips Monastery]] churches. Indeed, the widespread use of this type throughout the Orthodox world, from the [[Balkans]] to [[Russia]], is commonly ascribed to the prestige of this imperial building. The church was the crowning achievement of Basil's building program, and he spared no expense to decorate it as lavishly as possible: other churches and structures in the capital, including the [[mausoleum]] of Justinian, were stripped, and the [[Byzantine navy|Imperial fleet]] employed with transporting [[marble]] for its construction, with the result that [[Syracuse, Sicily|Syracuse]], the main Byzantine stronghold in [[Sicily]], was left unsupported and fell to the [[Arabs]]. Basil's grandson, the Emperor [[Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus]], gives the following description of the church's decoration in a laudatory ''[[ekphrasis]]'': {{Quote|This church, like a bride adorned with pearls and gold, with gleaming silver, with a variety of many-hued marble, with compositions of mosaic ''[[tesserae]]'', and clothing of silken stuffs, he [Basil] offered to Christ, the immortal Bridegroom. Its roof, consisting of five domes, gleams with gold and is resplendent with beautiful images as with stars, while on the outside it is adorned with [[brass]] that resembles gold. The walls on either side are beautified with costly marbles of many hues, while the [[sanctuary]] is enriched with gold and silver, precious stones, and pearls. The [[Templon|barrier]] that separates the sanctuary from the [[nave]], including the columns that pertain to it and the [[lintel]] that is above them; the seats that are within, and the steps that are in front of them, and the [[altar|holy tables]] themselves — all of these are of silver suffused with gold, of precious stones and costly pearls. As for the pavement, it appears to be covered in silken stuffs of [[Sidon]]ian workmanship; to such an extent has it been adorned all over with [[opus sectile|marble slabs of different colors]] enclosed by tessellated bands of varied aspect, all accurately joined together and abounding in elegance.}} The [[Atrium (architecture)|atrium]] of the church lay before its western entrance, and was decorated with two fountains of marble and [[Porphyry (geology)|porphyry]]. Two [[portico]]es ran along the northern and southern sides of the church up to the ''tzykanistērion'', and on the seaward (southern) side, a treasury and a [[sacristy]] were built. To the east of the church complex lay a garden, known as ''mesokēpion'' ("middle garden"). ==Relics== Along with the oratory of St Stephen in the [[Daphne Palace]] and the [[Church of the Virgin of the Pharos]], the ''Nea'' was the chief repository of holy relics in the imperial palace. These included the sheepskin cloak of the prophet Elijah, the table of Abraham, at which he hosted three angels, the horn which the prophet [[Samuel]] had used to anoint [[David]], and relics of [[Constantine the Great]]. After the 10th century, further relics were apparently moved there from other locations in the palace, including the "rod of Moses" from the [[Chrysotriklinos]]. ==External links== * [http://www.byzantium1200.com/nea-eccl.html 3D reconstruction of the building at the ''Byzantium 1200'' project] {{Coord missing|Turkey}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2010}}