2025 marks a significant year for the Catholic Church. The Jubilee started on December 24, 2024, and will last until January 2026 in Rome. Held every fifty years, the Jubilee invites Christians from around the world to undertake a pilgrimage.
Istanbul, referred to as Constantinople during the Eastern Roman Empire, is a unique city with its 8,500-year history that has witnessed different civilizations and empires. One of the empires that shaped the anatomy of Istanbul is the Eastern Roman Empire, which was later called the Byzantine Empire.
Lasting about 1,000 years, from its foundation until the official fall of the Roman Empire in 476 C.E., it governed and left a lasting presence and influence in many regions of the world, including Greece, Croatia, Syria, and Tunisia today. Another country that was home to the Roman Empire was Türkiye.
The Roman Empire, already scarred by Gothic invasions, began to weaken with the looting by Vandals in 455 C.E. and fell officially twenty-one years later in 476 C.E. However, even though it was losing power in the West, it managed to rise in the East. It maintained its existence under the name of the Byzantine Empire for more than 1,100 years until it was conquered in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire during that period.
As the Empire had already started losing its power in the 4th century, the Emperor of the Roman Empire, Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Constantinople in 330 C.E. because of the city’s strategic, economic, and political significance, and Constantinople eventually was described as “The New Rome.” UNESCO describes Constantinople as follows:
“…from the 4th century onwards, the “Rome” to which all roads led in the Mediterranean world was “Eastern Rome” or Constantinople.”
Constantine I is also renowned in the history of the Roman Empire and Christianity for being the first Christian emperor, as he issued the Edict of Milan in 313 C.E., which legalized Christianity. It was a declaration of religious toleration in the Roman Empire. With the Edict, Christians were allowed to freely practice their religion.
Under the reign of Constantine I, Christianity began to emerge as the dominant religion of the Roman Empire. Almost seventy years later, in 380 C.E., Emperor Theodosius declared Nicene Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire with the Edict of Thessalonica, also known as Cunctos Populos, making Constantinople the first capital of Christianity.
The historian Timothy E. Gregory explains it as follows:
“There can be no doubt that, from 312 CE onward, Constantine favored the Christian church and that he offered it considerable wealth. He clearly became deeply involved in the religious controversies of the age and he favored Christians in the employ of the state.”
After the Edict of Milan, the city started becoming prominent in the Christian world. During that time, several churches of great importance in the history of Christianity were built in Istanbul, which are still preserved to this day.
One of the leading churches of Constantinople, still standing today in Istanbul, is Hagia Irene, known as Aya Irini in Turkish. It is known to be the oldest church of the Eastern Roman Empire, noted for its Roman architectural elements. It is believed that the construction of the first church started in the 4th century at the request of Constantine I. Following the Nika riots in 532 C.E., it was burned but restored in 548 C.E. under Justinian I.
In the Eastern Roman Empire, another notable church and sacred site for Christianity today was built: Hagia Sophia, referred to as Aya Sofya in Turkish. Built by Justinian I, it was initially named Megale Ekklesia (Great Church). Construction began in 532 C.E. and was finished in 537 C.E. For almost a thousand years, it was the world’s largest Christian cathedral. Because of its historical and religious importance, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Known also as the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora, the Chora Church is one of the other historical churches that preserves a Christian heritage in Istanbul, and it was built in the 4th century. “Chora” is a Greek word meaning a rural area surrounding a city, referring to the church’s location outside the city. The church is named this because it was situated beyond the city limits, similar to how some Roman churches are called “fuori le mura” (outside the walls).
Another Christian heritage that Istanbul holds is the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate, also known as the Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is regarded as the highest authority within the Orthodox Christian tradition. The Patriarchate continues to host significant religious ceremonies in Istanbul. Last year, the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate conducted the ceremony of retrieving the cross from the sea at the Golden Horn, following a mass. Today, Patriarch Bartholomew I is the spiritual leader of about 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
One of the reasons why Istanbul and Rome are related to each other is that both cities serve as meeting points, with Rome being a central hub for Christianity and Istanbul functioning as a crossroads for both Christianity and Islam. Today, just as Rome is the seat of the Vatican and the Pope, the capital of Catholic Christianity, Istanbul is the home of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which holds significance for the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Istanbul has been home to Christianity for over 1,000 years, shaping the city’s identity in profound ways. As a result, Istanbul, like Rome, holds a sacred significance for Christians. During this Jubilee period, when Christianity is celebrated, Istanbul continues to be remembered for its religious importance.
