Blachernae (Greek: Βλαχερναί) is a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople. It was the site of a spring and a number of churches were built there, notably by Pulcheria in the 5th century and by Justinian I in the 6th century. These were originally outside the city walls, until 627 when the walls were expanded to include this section of the city. The area was expanded to include an imperial palace in the 11th century by Alexius I, but the walls were still relatively weak, reinforced only by the ramparts of the palace. After Alexius, the Blachernae Palace became the main residence of the emperors from 1081 AD to 1453 AD, though the old Great Palace was still used for major imperial ceremonies. Map of Constantinople. ... A natural spring on Mackinac Island in Michigan. ... Pulcheria (January 19, 399 – 453) was the daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius and Aelia Eudoxia. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... Justinian I depicted on one of the famous mosaics of the Basilica of San Vitale. ... This Buddhist stela from China, Northern Wei period, was built in the early 6th century. ... The Walls of Constantinople surrounded the Roman and Byzantine city of Constantinople (today Istanbul in Turkey). ... Events April 11 - Paulinus, a Roman missionary, baptizes King Edwin of Deira December 12 - Battle of Nineveh: Byzantine Emperor Heraclius defeats the Persians Births Deaths November 10 - Justus, Archbishop of Canterbury Categories: 627 ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus Alexius I (1048–August 15, 1118), Byzantine emperor (1081–1118), was the third son of John Comnenus, nephew of Isaac I Comnenus (emperor 1057–1059). ... This is a list of Byzantine Emperors. ... One of floor mosaics excavated at the Great Palace and dated to the reign of Justinian I. It is presumed to represent a conquered Gothic king. ...

Its weakness was first exposed in the Fourth Crusade, when the invaders penetrated Blachernae. Blachernae was also the site of the St. Mary of Blachernae church, which became the second-most important church in Constantinople after Hagia Sophia, if only because the emperors' residence was nearby. In 1347, John VI Cantacuzenus was crowned there, instead of in Hagia Sophia. In 1453 during the final siege of Constantinople, the Ottomans attacked Blachernae with their large cannon, almost completely destroying the walls there; the Byzantine defenders failed to block the Kerkoporta gate, enabling the Turks to enter the city. The Fourth Crusade (1201–1204), originally designed to conquer Jerusalem through an invasion of Egypt, instead, in 1204, invaded and conquered the Eastern Orthodox city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. ... The Blachernitissa Blachernitissa, also called Our Lady of Blachernae, is a 7th-century icon representing the Holy Virgin and considered to be a divine protectress of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. ... Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia, i. ... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411). ... John VI Cantacuzenus (c. ... Events May 29 - Fall of Constantinople to Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, marking the end of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Ottoman Empire Commanders Constantine XI† Loukas Notaras Mehmed II Strength <10,000 >80,000[1] Casualties Unknown Unknown The Fall of Constantinople was the conquest of the Byzantine capital by the Ottoman Empire under the command of Sultan Mehmed II, on Tuesday, May 29, 1453. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem At the height of its power (1683) Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Kostantiniyye (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

After the Ottoman conquest, the sultan's residence was moved to Topkapi Palace on the site of the ancient acropolis of Byzantium, opposite to the original site of the Great Palace, which had by this time fallen into complete ruin, and the Blachernae area (with the exception of the Palace of Porphyrogenitus) fell into disuse. Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı in Turkish, literally the Cannongate Palace - named after a nearby gate), located in Istanbul (Constantinople), was the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 to 1853. ... Acropolis of Athens from the south-west with the Propylaea and the Temple of Nike (left centre) and the theatre of Herodes Atticus (below left) Acropolis (Gr. ... The so-called Palace of Constantine Porphyrogenitus (Turkish: Tekfur Sarayı, Palace of the Emperor) is a 13th century Byzantine palace in the north-western part of the old city of Constantinople. ...

See also

• The Intercession - Glorious Mystery which happened at the Blachernae church
• Blachernitissa - the illustrious icon from Blachernae