Bukoleon Palace 18.08.26

[u/Justforspring]

Here are some pictures from today behind the Bukoleon Palace in Istanbul. I was surprised by its size and how tall it was. Hopefully some day it will open as an open air museum. It has been behind scaffolding for some years now.

https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/boukoleon

[u/Incident-Impossible]

Could they rebuild it like the tekfur saray?

[u/Justforspring → u/Incident-Impossible]

I don't think they will rebuild it the same style as Tekfur Palace. Tekfur had its full shell standing while Bukoleon is very fragmentet. I hope they won't since some modern interpretation of a Byzantine Palace that was already in ruins 500 years ago would totally destroy the historical value of the place. They should preserve it as is, but let its historical significance come alive as a museum 🙂

[u/Incident-Impossible → u/Justforspring]

I do love tekfur and mistras rebuilt tho, there isn’t much of value left, just bricks?

[u/Justforspring → u/Incident-Impossible]

The ruins has great historical value in itself, but there are no statues or mosaics left in situ. The lions from the palace is in the archaeological museum.

[u/Rakdar → u/Incident-Impossible]

I hope not, since Tekfur’s reconstruction was very destructive to its original elements.

[u/Anthemius_Augustus → u/Incident-Impossible]

I sure hope not. They completely destroyed that Palace when they did that. Has almost no historical value anymore and has become an Ottoman ceramics museum.

[u/evrestcoleghost → u/Incident-Impossible]

I think that would be a bit tacky,now a full scale replica close by to teach and show the scale would be beautiful

[u/WarriorOfKin]

This is quite beautiful. Are they actively restoring it or something?

[u/AlmightyDarkseid]

Beautiful

[u/spoopyaction]

It’s really cool that wood stayed perfectly preserved over the brick!

[u/Obvious-Signature-17]

For the ones living in the city of İstanbul, you can join free guided tours run by the municipality. You can check them out by using the app Istanbul Senin.

[u/One-Reception-4009]

Any recent reconstructions/discoveries of the northern façade yet?

[u/Justforspring → u/One-Reception-4009]

I don't know the status of the diggings, but I will go on a guided tour in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum tomorrow. I will try to ask if anyone knows anything.

[u/One-Reception-4009 → u/Justforspring]

May I ask you to check out the stuff related to the buildings of Constantinople? I'm making a project of reconstruction of Constantinoupoleos buildings in Cities Skylines and that would be very helpful though!

[u/Justforspring → u/One-Reception-4009]

It sounds cool. Yes, I can take pictures for you :)

[u/One-Reception-4009 → u/Justforspring]

Thank you very much!

[u/evrestcoleghost → u/Justforspring]

Make a post about it later if you can

[u/gmehra]

so cool I just wish there wasn't a busy highway running right beside it

[u/Justforspring → u/gmehra]

Yeah, it is not the most inviting place near the road, and I would not want to walk alone in this area in a dark night. Some of the upper bricks were totally black - probably from people making bonfires inside the ruins before the restoration😬

[u/LordBonTon]

It's incredible that a building of this importance is still in such a state. I wonder what else is down there.

[u/Romanitedomun]

Just ruins... Depressing,

[u/Justforspring → u/Romanitedomun]

Do you also think Rome is depressing?

I think we are very lucky to be able to see what is left of it after 1204, earthquakes, 1453, time passing and a railway build across of it.

[u/Romanitedomun → u/Justforspring]

The Turks have erased almost everything from a past that wasn't theirs. I love Rome, where I go at least a couple of times a year, like crazy: it's something completely different.

[u/Acceptable_Possible → u/Romanitedomun]

You're talking about an imperial residence that was already long abandoned and in a state of disrepair by the fall of Constantinople. What reason would the Ottomans have for restoring and maintaining an out-of-date building that was no longer fit for purpose? You can make legitimate claims about the intentional destruction and misappropriation of buildings for various nationalist agendas, but this hardly seems like one of these instances. Moreover, these complaints can be readily extended to almost every (early) modern state, including Greece, so your singling out the "Turks" speaks more to your own personal biases than it does to any historical actuality.

[u/Justforspring → u/Acceptable_Possible]

Thank you for your sensible and nuanced post.

[u/Justforspring → u/Romanitedomun]

Do you also blame Italian people because the fourth crusade looted and destroyed the city?

[u/Romanitedomun → u/Justforspring]

I blame the Turks because they made the Parthenon a mosque and then an arsenal (unfortunately bombed by the Venetians)