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 A )lEDIEVAL An:Ug~IAX PII.GRDI'S DESCRIPTION
OF CO~STANTINOPLE

The document here publi5hed 1 is to be found in one of the eight

Armenian manuscripts belonging to the ~lingana C.ollection (Selly
Oak Colleges Library, Birmingham, England), llingana Arm. 3,
if.125'"-133r . The manuscript, measuring 14.5 X 10.8 ems, is incom-
plete at beginning and end, and consists of 161 ff (unnumbered),
containing various it~ms of a miscellaneous nature; it is written in a
neat hand, alternating between flotrgir and b%rgir, dating probably
to the end of the 1ith ~ntury, or the 18th century t. The present
work is numbered no. i, and is in bolorgir.
The title of the work reads: _ These arc the shrines in Constantinople
where the bodies of the &'\ints are gathered t, and it represents the
no~s of a pilgrim riesc::ribing the churches he "isited, and their relics.
r It is clear on internal evidence that the pilgrim's visit antedates
1453, for many of the churcbes he mentions did not survive tbe city's
fall. But the riMo can be nnrrowed down a little further: among tbe
churches he dl'acribes is t.hat of t.he Virgin of Blachernai (= no. 16),
which was destroyed by fire on the 29th February, 1434, and was not
rebuilt. A termintl.! post quem, on the otber hand, is provided by his
mention of the Kym ,,Marlna (= no. 19), which was founded by Mary,
( the sister of :Michael VIII Palaiologos, in the last quarter of the 13th
(
century. Beyond tbis it docs not seem possible to go.
There is, however, one discordant Fiece of evidence concerning
the date : the monastery of the PeriblepWs (= no. 12) is introduced
t.
1 I should like to thank the Librarian of the Selly Oak Colleges Library, Mrs J. 1\1.
!
Leonard. for her usual helpfulness; the Curator of the l\Iingana Collection. Professor
W. D. MclIardy, for permission to publish the text; and. especially. Professor C. J. F.
Dowsett. with whom I was 3hle to discuss a number of points. and who made several
important suggestions (see the notes to the translation), and improvements to the trans·
Iation. I also take the opportunity to thank Mr. H. Berberian for a number of valuable
I: criticisms and 8uggestions, &8 well &8 for drawing my attention to the description of
t
\
Constantinople in Simeon Lehac'i.
2 A cursive note in a later hand gives the date 1815 (or possibly 1715) in the margin
!
off. 127".
 ---~------

82 S.BROCK

as « our monastery I). The Peribleptos, however, came into Armenian

hands only after the city's fall, probably sometime between 1461
and 1480 3, and so it would appear that the word « our» cannot belong
to the original pilgrim who was in Constantinople at a date before
February 1434, and that it should be attributed to a later copyist,
whether of the present manuscript, or (which is more likely - see
below) of its Vorlage. This supposition, however, raises difficulties,
for the monastery is always referred to in Armenian sources as Astua-
cacin (= Theotokos), Bulu Manastir, or Bt George (its later name), and
never as Peribleptos. Thus it seems unlikely that a later scribe -
unless living at the time when the monastery first came into Armenian
hands - would have made the identification. A possible solution 4
is that the monastery may conceivably have already belonged to
Ohalcedonian Armenians before the fall of the city - and necessarily
before 1434, the pilgrim's terminus ante quem. The Fratres Unitores
(an Armenian Uniate order) indeed probably had a monastery in
Constantinople at the end of the 15th century 5, but this monastery
was evidently St Nicholas 6. Furthermore, the emperor Manuel
Palaiologos was resident in the Peribleptos in 1422 7, and according to
the early 17th century traveller Evliya Efendi 8 the last emperors
were buried here, and so on the whole it seems unlikely that the
monastery was already in Armenian hands at the time when the
Armenian pilgrim was in the city 9. Thus one must suppose that the
pilgrim's original text was copied at one stage in the course of its
transmission 10 shortly after the monastery became Armenian, while
3 Cf. H. BERBEruAN, Materialien zur Guchichte der Armenier in Konstantinope1 (Vienna,
1965), p. 123. See further below.
4 Suggested to me by H. Berberian (letter of 5-12-1966).
5 Cf. VAN OUDlI:mUJN, Linguae Haicanae Scriptore.'J_ .• (Bern, 1960), p. 33 :. Fortasse
post 1475 FF Unitores conventnm vel domum habnerint etiam Constantinopolh.
6 Cf. R. LoUERTZ, «Les etablissements dominicains de pera·Constantinople t, Eclwa
d'Orient, 34 (1935), p. 344 ff.
7 E.g. DUKAS, PG 157, col. 972 D; ed. Green, p. 233: >ill yap OlKWII ..&1'£ &{1auJ.dJs b

Tij I"'vfi rij, II£p'{l).11tTOfJ tW8~; Kal ylpwlI.

8 Cf. Narratit-e of travm in Europe, Aaia, and Africa in the Seventeenth Century b!l
Evliya Efendi, tr. J. von Ha=er (London, 1834), I. i, p. 44.
9 H the monastery was already in Armenian hands when the pilgrim visited it, one
would have expected rather more than the couple of lines he in fact gives it. Simeon
Lehac'i, visiting it in 1608, gives it an extended description (ed. Akinian, p. 21·22).
10 That the text of Mingana Arm. 3 is at some stages removed from the pilgrim's
autograph is made clear by the fact that a number of corruptions are to be found in it;
see below, notes to the translation.
 A MEDIEVAL ARMENIAN PILGRIM'S DESCRIPTION 83

the memory of its former name was still alive, and that it was at this
point that the word {( our» was added.
The language and interpretation of the document present a number
of difficulties. The pilgrim attempted to write in Classical Armenian,
but not always successfully (cf., for example, the erratic use of 'l),
and a number of Medieval Armenian forms occur, eg § 2 ~"" [foUfo;
§3 +nL /;[lUuI; ibid. ~nL qWJ. Furthermore the vocabulary contains
a number of foreign words, the demotic use of some of which is well
attested (eg 2!.nLln, {( Jew»), while others are rarely, or not at all,
found in other written sources, although they evidently belong to the
spoken language of the time. In the case of four of these a Persian
origin seems fairly well assured. For details see the notes to the
translation.
The transliterations of the Greek names fall into two groups, the first
corresponding to modern Western, the second to classical and modern
Eastern, pronunciation (personal names, where historical spelling
will be operative, are not taken into account) :

(1) "Ay(tos-) rEWpyt(OS-) (nvv) Mayyav(wv) IUJ /;np+fo dIUU~IUU

flavayla ptuuwJ/;w.
(2) Kvpa /Las ~fopwdnu
flavaxpavToS' Ufwuwfupouwnu
flaVTavauua UfWUWUIUUILUUI
flavToKpaTwp UfUIUWO~pUIW
flaTplKwS' (1) wWUfpwCiI
flEpI{J>'E7TTOS' Uffophfo1>WUIU
Xah07TpaTlia fuUI[J!OUfPUIWfoUIJ.

It is thus difficult to decide whether the writer was a Western or

Eastern Armenian (though the evidence perhaps points to the latter),
and to what extent the pilgrim's language may have been modified in
the course of transmission.
The contents too present their difficulties : the churches are at
times too inadequately described for recognition, although in most
cases the lists of relics provide a clue for identification. And in matters
of identity, apart from Janin's monumental work, Les eglises et monas-
teres de Oonstantinople, it is the descriptions left by other medieval
pilgrims and travellers that have proved of most use, in particular
the narratives of the Russian pilgrims.
The order in which the churches are listed is only very roughly

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84 S. BROCK

geographical, for while nos 1-5, 7-9 all belong to the East side of city,
no. 6 apparently does not (if the identification is correct), and nos 10-20
are given in no obvious order.
No other Armenian pilgrims or travellers of this period seem to
have left accounts of Constantinople. The bishop Martiros of Erzindjan,
travelling at least half a century later, indeed passed through Con-
stantinople (Stampol) on his way West, but he left no account of the
city in his diary 11. At the beginning of the 17th century an interesting
and fairly detailed description of the city is given by the Armenian
Simeon Lehac'i, of Lvov, who arrived in Istanbul in September 1608.
His description of Ayia Sophia is especially valuable for elucidating
some points in the present pilgrim's obscure account of this church.

* **
In the commentary the following abbreviations are used:
Antoniades : E. M. ANTONIADES, Ekphrasis tis Agias Sophias (3 vols,
Athens, 1907-1909).
Berberian: H. BERBERIAN, Materialien zur Geschichte der Armenier in
Konstantinopel (Vienna, 1965) [in Armenian].
Ebersolt, Sanctuaires : Jean EBERSOLT, Sanctuaires de Byzance (Paris,
1921).
Janin : R. JANIN, La geographie ecclesiastique de I'empire byzantin;
le partie : Le siege de Constantinople et le patriarcat (1Jcumenique;
T. III : Les eglises et les monasteres (Paris, 1953).
Janin2 (1964) : R. JANIN, Constantinople byzantine. D6veloppeme-nt
urbain et repertoire topographique (2nd ed., Paris, 1964).
Khitrowo : B. DE KHITROWO, Itineraires russes en Orient, I (Geneva,
1889).
Lethaby-Swainson : W. R. LETHABY and Harold SwAINSON, The
Church of Sancia Sophia, Constantinople (London, 1894).
Mateos : J. MATEos, Le typicon de la Grande Eglise (= Orientalw r. 1:
Christiana Analecta 165-166; 2 vols, Rome, 1962-1963).

11 Translation (from Paris, BN Arm 65 of 1684) by Saint-l\Iartin in Journal Asialiq!u

9 (1826), pp. 321-73. Cp. also the description of Jerusalem by Nicholas, bishop of Akvir·
man(I483)ed.Alishan, rJ.wu& rJ.wfml'f"!J"I''' u ..[!w'lw.[!& jbl'",.uw'lfd, Venice, 1896~
A very brief account of a visit to Constantinople, c. 1624 or soon after, is to be found in
the colophon of ms. 334 in the library of the Mechitharists, Vienna (printed in DASClIlAlf.
Katalog ... (1895), p_ 780 b). I owe the reference to H. Berberian).

.
T
 A MEDlEVAL ARMENIAN PILGRThl'S DESCRIPTION 85

PG : Patrologia Graeca.
PO : Patrologia Orientalis.
Preger : Th. PREGER, Scriptores originum Oonstantinopolitanarum
(Leipzig, 1901-1907).
Simeon Lehac'i : ed. N. AKINIAN, Die Armeniers Simeon aus Polen
Reisebeschreibung (Vienna, 1936). [In Armenian, with German
summary.]
Swift: E. H. SWIFT, Hagia Sophia (Columbia University Press, 1940).

The dates of the visits of pilgrims 12 whose accounts are frequently

cited in the commentary are as follows:

Anthony of Novgorod 1200

Rabban ~auma 1287
Stephen of Novgorod c1350
Ignatius of Smolensk 1389
Alexander 1393
Clavijo 1402
Zosimus 1419/21
Buondelmonti 1422
Anonymous Russian 1424/34
Tafur 1437/8
Simeon Lehac'i 1608.

* **
The text of the manuscript is printed in facsimile at the end of this
article. A number of emendations will be found in the Notes to the
translation below.

Translation

( l:!JY These are the shrines (lit vow-places) where the bodies of the saints
are gathered in Constantinople.

1. First, the wonderful and great church Ayea Sofia, which means

U In citing the accounts of other travellers I have necessarily been selective: a IAirly
complete index of early travellers can be found in the ea.talogue of the GennadiOiS Library
(.~tbens). S.
H. WEBER, Voyagu and Trat:ela in aruce. the Near EMf and adjacent regW1U
made prtrimu to the gear 1801 (Princeton, 1953) •

.
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 86 S. BROCK

Wisdom. It has <2> * storeys *. And on the lower storey there

are 12 columns of green marble; and in the upper storey are 64 green
columns; and 8 columns are purple, and 8 square*, and 12 white.
f. 126' The throne isentirely bound with bronze*. And one of these 4 columns
which is on the right side of the church is (that) of the Illuminator,
and the other, of which one face is green, the height of a man, the
two parts of which are of bronze. And there, they say, are the relics
of the Illuminator. And in the upper storey there are 40 columns,
all of green marble. And in the gallery, on the right side of the church,
on the wall is that marble which comes up to the brickwork * ; on the one
f. 126'" side is the Mother of God, and on the other the Saviour. Around the
dome there are 40 arched windows and in the middle there hangs down
<a lamp>*.
2. And there is another monastery which is called Kiramos [ = Kyra
1\1as] where there is an icon painted by Luke the Evangelist, on one
side of which is the 1\1other of God, and the Saviour in her arm(s),
and on the other side there is another Christ on the cross on the right,
and the Mother of God on the left. And every Tuesday there is a
procession (lit. pilgrimage) there.
f. 127' 3. And there is another monastery where there are the relics of
Lazarus, the friend of Christ, whom he raised from the dead after four
days; and of his two sisters, 1\1ary and 1\1artha. And there are 63 yellow
bronze chains; and the size of the dome extends from one end (lit.
front) to the other. And it has a door near the middle of the church.
And ascending into the upper storey there are five turns (1) * in all,
and another 35 stairs go up.
f. 127'" 33. And outside the door in front is a great column of the church,
alongside, and on the column is constructed (a statue of) Justinian
in bronze, who built Ayea Sofia and enlarged the city.
On the right side of the altar are the relics of 1\1ary and Martha, and
on the left side (those) of Lazarus. And the relics of Melitos, patriarch
of Antioch, are there. And the church is beautiful and worthy of honour,
with two storeys, built of marble, and of porphyry * work.
f. 128' 4. And another penitents' monastery, which is called Taprace
monastery. There also is the head of John Chrysostom, and there is
the head of St Kirakos and his mother Julitta.
5. And another penitents' monastery, Panaxrontoskasen. And
there is the head of Basil of Caesarea.
• See notes to the translation.

•
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 A MEDIEVAL ARMENIAN PILGRIM'S DESCRIPTION 87

r.128' 6. And another penitents' monastery of St Stephen protomartyr.

And (some) of the relics of St Christopher and of St Yakovik and
hawap'ai (are there).
7. And another penitents' monastery, where the legs of Ignatius
Theophoros, the patriarch inspired by God, are. And the church is
beautiful, so is the church's floor; its name is Pantanassa. A marble
facet * is made like the waves of the sea.
r.I29' 8. And another penitents' monastery, where there is (part) of the
chains of St Peter the apostle; and (some) of the relics of the holy
Anargyroi, the doctors Cosmas and Damian.
9. And another great monastery, Ay(ios) Yeorgi Mangan. Which is
called «the torments of St George» *, where there are many and
• innumerable relics of the saints. There too is the head of Andrew
the apostle, and the head of Zacharias the prophet, the father of
r. 129' John the Forerunner; and the head of St Gregory the Illuminator,
and another head, of the priest Trip'on, and (some) of the relics of
St Pantaleon the doctor, and of Theodoros the general.
10. And another great monastery, the Pantokrat(or), which
means «the Omnipotent ». There is the stone on which they wrapped
up Christ, above which appears the Mother of God. And there is the
water jar (with) which Christ in Cana of Galilee changed water into
r. 13Qr wine. There is the right hand of St Stephen, and the heads of four
martyr saints : one of St Yakovik, all of whose limbs were cut up in
pieces for the sake of the name of Christ. And another three heads of
other martyr saints.
11. And another great church is called the Holy Apostles. There, in
the middle of the great altar, are the relics of the holy evangelist
Luke, and of the holy apostles Titus and Timothy. There too are the
f. 130' relics of the patriarch Apirindos and of John Chrysostom. There are
also the tombs of the pious kings, Constantine: its casing is of red
marble; and that of Theodosius the Great, and of Just<in>ian:
its casing is of green marble. And there is the pillar to whlch they
bound Christ on the night on which they arrested Christ and led him
off to crucify him; and there is the stone which Peter, at the time of
the denial, mounted and remembered the word of the Lord, and he
t III r wept bitterly on the stone. And there is an icon of the Saviour, which,
when a Jew struck it with a knife, blood came up from that icon.
And outside stood a high column, on top of which is elevated, in
bronze, the angel Gabriel, and Constantine the king.
 88 S. BROCK

12. And our monastery, which is called Piriliftan [= Peribleptos].

There is the right hand of John the Baptist, and there is the whole
right hand of St Gregory the Wonder-worker. Under the monastery
f. 131 v sweet waters come up.
13 And another great monastery, St John, where there is Christ's
seamless garment, and the full sponge with which they gave him vinegar
and gall to drink; and the head of the lance, and the reed with which
they mocked Christ. There is the morsel which Christ gave to Judas,
and a fragment of the stone cover. All these, with the garment, are
in a single place.
14. And another monastery called Panayea, which means « Mother
f. 132 r of God ». There is the head of the patriarch Ink'ois; and there is the
head of the virgin Make'a *; and her two legs.
15. And there is another church where the tomb of Daniel the
prophet, and of St Romanos, is; and the tomb of Nikatas *.
16. And there is a church called Luahernas [= Blachernai], beau-
tiful and marvellous, with two storeys, and 6 green marble columns;
18 in the lower storey and 18 in the upper (one); and other columns.
f. 132 v And there is the girdle, in the first chapel, which is called Xalkopratia.
17. And a church which is called the Church of the Poor. There is (
the tomb of the voluntary poor man of Christ, Alek'sianos.
18. And there is a high column in the middle of the city, where are
the 7 baskets of the fragments with which Christ fed the multitude.
And the column is of 7 branches *. And on the top is a great iron
cross-shape, bound in lead.
f. 133 r 19. And another monastery, where the relics of Mary Magdalene and
Mary of Cleophas and Salome are.
20. And another penitents' monastery, where the relics of the
bishop Cyprian are.

And glory to Christ for ever.

Notes to the translation
§1 This is an Arabic loanword found in Turkish, tabaqa,
IOWIIJW'lW]
and still in current use with the meanings « storey, layer; leaf
(of paper) », as H. Berberian informs me. It occurs several times
in the course of the present text (§§ 1, 3, 16), as well as in Simeon
Lehac'i (eg p. 10 in connection with Ayia Sophia).
Before the word IOWIIJW'lWJ here, <p> (= 2) has very probably

•
f
 A lIEDlEVAL ARMENIAN PILGRIM'S DESCRIPI'ION 89

dropped out (H. B.), and the scribe's punctuation should accord-
ingly be corrected.
lWl'unL = Persian c(ah)ar-su « four-sided, square I) (CJFD). Although
one might have expected another colour here, « square)} is cer-
tainly the correct interpretation; cf. the commentary for their
identity.
f!.uUfhU/l'n4. This word, which is used here as an instrumental, probably
represents New Persian sepid-ro (both ro and roi, cf. Avestan
raoi8ita-(<red, reddish I), are listed by Vullers), i.e. «white reddish me-
tal», viz. « white coppen), which must mean a mixture of copper and
tin, i.e.« bronze)} (which is the meaning demanded by the context
of every occurrence of the word). The word is used in Modem
Persian meaning « zinc)} (cf. HUBSCHMANN, Persische Studien,
p. 68, no. 635; cpo HORN, Grundriss d. pers. Philologie, p. 141,
nO 635). In the present form seJiid has become f!.ullfhU/ by con-
tamination with (f!.)ullffomUl~ « white)} (itself originally Iranian)
(CJFD). The form ullfhmpn4. occurs a number of times in Simeon
Lehac'i (eg p. 10).
{ " fuhwp The illS. reads p i.e. the numeral 20, in which case the
otherwise unknown fuhUlp will be a measure. The translation,
however, assumes 'p for fo and connects the word with Persian
khusar « brick)} (CJFD), i.e. «up to the brickwork * I). The passage
nevertheless remains very obscure; cpo also the commentary.
~wM Clearly something has been lost after this word; CJFD
suggests kant'el «lamp I), or kant'elam «candelabra I), either of
which could have dropped out through homoioarkton.
§3 am The meaning of the whole sentence is note at all clear. am
«with I) makes no sense here, nor is am « trace)} attested elsewhere
in the sense of « step I}, which might possibly suit the context here.
H. B. suggests a corruption from {hq i.e. « and the ascent to the
upper story involves (turning) five times in all ... )} (adopted in the
translation). This would, incidentally, correspond exactly to the
five turns of the NW ramp in Ayia Sophia, which arouses the
suspicion that this sentence, along with § 3a (see the commentary)
may be displaced, and that they really belong at the end of § 1,
to Ayia Sophia, rather than to the monastery of Lazarus. The
«35 other steps)} presumably refer to an alt~mative means of

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90 S.BROCK

access to the gallery (there were such staircases - besides the

ramps - in Ayia Sophia (now blocked) 13.
§ 3a UfwpwUfWP West Armenian rendering of New Persian bariibar
(Turkish beraber) « together I), i.e. « alongside, adjoining» (CJFD).
The word is still in current use (H. B.).
§ 3 f/>nnmljwp?lw?I Unknown, but read farforagorcac « of porphyry
work» (OJFD).
§ 7 f/>unLm Otherwise unknown; perhaps from Turkish faseta (itself
from Frenchfacette), «facet» (OJFD).
§ 9 ljlnpljw) lwnwpwu.f! rEWpytoS 'T(l)V Mayyavwv !
§ 10 np ~/;p/;LfIw The text as it stands (= translation) is very
obscure. The other pilgrim accounts (see the commentary) mention
the Virgin's tears on this slab, and presumably the Armenian
pilgrim intends « appears (sc by token of her tears) I). But the text
may well be corrupt.
§ 14 lJl!.~l.w The name is certainly corrupt; perhaps < *Sl!.hlll
Thekla (H. B.).
§ 15 /;L P~WU/WUIUJ sic ms.! Correct to tMwmwulUJ The other pilgrim
accounts mention the tomb of St Niketas.
§ 18 nuU/ « branches» (sic). The context requires, eg, « drums., but
it is difficult to extract this from the Armenian.

***
Oommentary
§ 1. The description of the columns in Ayia Sophia 14 is, at least
in parts, rather garbled, and it is not always possible to identify the
various items with certainty.
The 12 green marble columns will include the 8 massive columns
on the Nand S side between the piers, while the other four will belong
to the aisles (the number however is too low). The 64 columns of tM
upper storey nearly correspond to the actual 60 in the gynaikeion
galleries. The 8 purple columns will be the eight Theban porphyry
columns of the exedras, which traditionally came from Rome. The

13 The SE staircase has 25 steps, however, according to Antoniades, n, p. 2.&0 (aO

IJgUres given for the others).
14 On these see especially Lethaby·Swainson, p. 165 IT., 236 IT., and plans on p. 38-39·
On the church in general, Antoniades and Swift passim, Janin, p. 471-485.
 A I1IEDIEVAL ARIlIENIAN PILGRIM'S DESCRIPTION 91

8 square columns are the four pairs of square columns at the E and W
ends of the two aisles. The identity of the 12 white columns is uncertain,
but reference may be to the 12 columns of the atrium, now destroyed;
the number does not fit the white columns of the gallery aisles 15.
The four columns ... : the precise meaning of this sentence is hard to
comprehend, and very possibly the text is corrupt. The second column
would seem to be that described in some detail by Simeon Lehac'i
(p. 10), who states that inside the church there was a large column,
covered with bronze (spetr), to the height of a man (mardac'ap') -
both words used here by the present pilgrim - and that it sweated.
Inside it he was told that there were the relics of Gregory the Illuminator
and Gregory the Theologian (i.e. of Nazianzus), and the metal casing
was to protect it from the excessive attentions of pilgrims. In the
present text, the «green» evidently refers to the colour of the metal.
The manuscript begins a new paragraph with the mention of the
Illuminator's relics, but the account of Simeon Lehac'i shows that the
punctuation is here (as elsewhere) incorrect. This «other» column is
thus evidently the famous {( sweating column I), called that of Gregory
Thaumaturgus 16 by Antony of Novgorod 17 (who also states that is it
covered with bronze' plates) and the anonymous author of the .d'~Y'1(J's
7T£p~ rijs 'Artas l:ot/>las 18. It is in the first bay on the left. The fIrst
column, «on the right I), may be that referred to by other writers as
that of 8t Basil, situated in the first bay on the right. The pilgrim's
attribution of this column to the illuminator would seem to be due to
confusion.
The throne was set on a porphyry omphalion to the right of the
ambo. Orthe Russian pilgrims only Anthony of Novgorod 111 mentions
this : _near the altar on the right is a piece of red marble, on which
is placed a throne of gold, on which the emperor is crowned. The area
is surrounded by bronze (rails) I).
The 40 green columns of the upper storey (cp above /) may possibly
be the green columns in the gallery which separate the gynaikeion

U The nave is separated from the sanctnary by 12 coll1llll1ll (6 pairs), but th_ were
rovered in gold.
11 Antoniades n, p. 226-227.
11 Khitrowo, p. 90 (Anthony mentions the relics of the llluminator in a different
context, p_ 96).
18 Pregt-r, p. SO.
u Khitrowo, p. 95.
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94 S.BROCK

4. The identity of this monastery is not clear. Taprace is possibly a

corruption of llaTp{Ktos.
Anthony of Novgorod writes 36 : « derriere Pierre Patrice (uncertain
identity 37) se trouvent les reliques des saints Julien, Cyrique et
Julitte et de sainte Thecle ». Janin 38 identifies Anthony's church
with St Julian, in the forum of Constantine, but this cannot be the
church referred to by the Armenian, for several of the later Russian
pilgrims saw the head of Bt John Chrysostom (linked by the Armenian
with the relics of Cyriacus and Julitta) in a monastery of the Vir-
gin 39. This means that either the relics of St Cyriacus and Julitta
were later removed from St Julian, or that Anthony's church was in
fact not St Julian at all.
A possible candidate for the church referred to by the Armenian
is that of the Virgin -rwv IIa-rptKlas 40. This was behind Ayia Sophia,
and to the East of it, thus fitting well with the indications of the
church's locality in the Russian pilgrims' accounts, and explaining
the name given by the Armenian. Unfortunately little is known of the
church of the Virgin TWV IIaTptKlas, nor is it elsewhere called a monas-
tery.
5. The Panachrantos 41 features frequently in pilgrims' accounts,
and the fame of St Basil's head even led to Basil's usurping the name
of the monastery in the narrative of the anonymous Russian 42. Both
Alexander and Zosimus call it a« couvent des femmes» 43.
6. It is not clear to which of the dedications to St Stephen this
refers : the monastery of St Stephen, which J anin 44 identifies with
the church of this name in the quarter of Constantinianai, would be
out of place in the present context. Unfortunately the relics do not
help in identifying the monastery, not being mentioned (apart from
St Yakovik, for whom see no. 10) by other pilgrims.

34 Khitrowo, p. 106.
37 Janin, p. 416.
38 Janin, p. 268-269.
39 Stephen of Novgorod. Khitrowo, p. 119. Stephen, like the Armenian, lists the
Panachrantos next. Cp Z08imUS (Khitrowo. p. 201) who saw the head in a female convent,
near St Lazarus.
40 Janin, p. 226.
41 Janin, p. 223-224.
42 Khitrowo. p. 230.
43 Khitrowo, p. 162, 202 respectively.
44 Janin, p. 493.
 A MEDIEVAL ARMENIAN PILGRIM'S DESCRIPTION 95

7. The Pantanassa 45 was one of the many Constantinople churches

claiming to possess some of the instruments of the Passion, and these
are the only relics recorded here by Stephen of Novgorod 46 and
Zosimus 47. The Anonymous Russian, however, while not giving the
monastery a name, speaks of the instruments of the Passion and
«a crucifix, and the legs of Ignatius Theophorus» 48. These last are not
recorded outside the anonymous Russian and present Armenian
accounts. The marble facet (1) was evidently a grained marble with a
wavy pattern.
8. The chapel of St Peter 49 (nowhere else called a monastery).
where the chains (or rather, part of them) of St Peter were exhibited
on the 16th January 50, is not mentioned by any of the Russian pil-
grims except Anthony of Novgorod 51 (was the Armenian there at
the feast 1). No other source mentions any relics of St Cosmas and
St Damian here 52.
9. The monastery of St George 'TWV Mayyavwv 63 was one of the
most famous of the city. The head of Bt Andrew is mentioned as being
here (cp no. 11 below I) only by the Russian anonymous (_ in the
altau) 54, although a possible reference to it may be seen in a document
quoted by Janin 55 to the effect that in 1244 Innocent IV took into
his protection « St Andrew of Mangana ».
The other relics listed by the Armenian do not appear to be given
in other sources, at least for this monastery - the head of Zacharias,
for example, was to be found in the Studion monastery in the 12th
century 58, while Stephen of Novgorod saw the relicsofSt Pantaleon$?
in the Blachernai church 58, and Alexander saw the same relics in the

4.5 Janm. p. 225.

« Khitrowo, p. 119.
(1 Khitrowo, p. 202.
U Khitrowo, p. 230.
4. Janin, p. 412 (no. 2).
$0 Mateos, I, p. 198.

51 Khitrowo, p. 89.
52 For other locations of the relics of these saints, see EBERSOLT, Sanc:tvairu, p. 98
and note 6.
U Janin, p. 75-81.
" Khitrowo, p. 230.
q Janm.p. 76.
M Cf. Janin, p. 449.
57 Cp also EBEBSOLT, Sandvairu, p. 93.94.
" Khitrowo, p. 124.
96 S. BROCK

monastery of the Baptist 59. Again, according to Anthony of Nov-

gorod, St Theodore the General was buried in the Blachernai church 60.
For the present monastery the Russian pilgrims mostly confine them-
selves to the Instruments of the Passion.
10. The Pantokrator 61 was converted into a mosque (Zeyrek kilise
camii) at the end of the 15th century. The stone of Christ's ernbalment
is mentioned by the Russian and other pilgrims 62, who, however,
also speak of the Virgin's tears on it, and it is possible that this is
obliquely referred to by the Armenian account (which is very obscure
as it stands: see the notes to the translation, above). The account
of the Nestorian Rabban ~auma is the fullest on these tears: « (he saw
the stone ... ) on which Mary wept, and the place where her tears is
still wet, and however much the wetness is wiped off, it returns again 63.
Rabban ~auma, together with the Russian pilgrims, also lists the
water jar from Cana.
Stephen's right hand is recorded as having been seen in this church
only by the Russian pilgrim Zosimus 64. st Yakovik (i.e. St James
the Persian) and the other three martyrs (named by Zosimus) are
listed by most of the Russian pilgrims 65.
11. The great Church of the Apostles 66, after a brief spell as the
seat of the Greek Patriarchate (1454-1461), was finally destroyed
by Muhammed II in 1461, who built in its place the present Fatih
camii.
The mention of the relics of Titus is evidently in error, for it was
the heads of Andrew (cp however no. 9 I), Luke and Timothy that
lent fame to this church. But it is usually thought that these relics
were among those removed by the Latins 67, and of the Russians
Anthony of Novgorod, four years before the capture of the city by

59 Khitrowo, p, 162.
60 Khitrowo, p. 100.
61 J anin, p. 529-538.
62 E.g. Stephen of Novgorod (Khitrowo, p. 123; cp p_ 102, 137); Rabban ~auml!.
(ed. Bedjan2, p. 51); Buondelmonti (ed. Legrand, p. 244); Bertrandon de 1& Broquiere
[1434] (ed. Scherer, p. 160-161). of various colours ••
63 Ed. Bedjan2, p. 51.
M Khitrowo, p. 204 (where he is more precisely named as St Stephen the New). Zosimus
does not specify which hand.
65 Khitrowo, p. 123, 137, 162, 204, 234.
66 Janin, p. 46-54_
61 EBEBSOLT, 8anduaire8, p. 41.
 A MEDIEVAL ARMENIAN PILGRIM'S DESCRIPTION 97
the Latins, is the last to mention them by name 68. The Armenian,
however, is perhaps supported by Alexander, who speaks of « the
relics of the Holy Apostles)} 69.
Apirindos may be a corruption of Spiridion (u > w), whose relics
Stephen of Novgorod 70 and others saw here. Although the relics of
Bt John Chrysostom 71 were also among those removed by the Latins,
Ignatius of Smolensk 72 still claimed to have seen them (sealed up,
however I), while Rabban ~auma 73, Stephen of Novgorod and Alex-
ander all saw his tomb 74.
The tombs of the emperors (variously listed, e.g. « Constantine,
Theodosius the Younger and several others )}, Ignatius of Smolensk)
are also mentioned by the Russians. The « red marble)} is porphyry,
described by Stephen of Novgorod 75 as « une pierre semblable a
l'ardoise}) 1 But closest to the Armenian's account is that of Rabban
~auma's visit : « ••• the tomb of the victorious king, Constantine,
which is of a reddish colour; and the tomb of Justinian, which is of a
green stone )} 76.
The pillar of the scourging and the stone (or column, according to
some) are again listed by the Russian pilgrims 77.
The icon was also seen by Stephen of Novgorod 78. It is wrongly
attributed by Janin 79 to the Peribleptos, which indeed had another
such icon, but of the Virgin, not Christ, which Alexander saw 80.
Constantinople evidently possessed several icons which had undergone
the same fate; compare the seals with the legend M(~1'71p) 8(e)ov ~
p,axa£po(Maa « The Mother of God, stabbed with a knife» 81.
88 Khitrowo, p. 102.
6~ Khitrowo, p. 162.
70 Khitrowo, p. 122.
71 Details of their location are given in the Armenian Synaxary (20th Arac' = 27th
J&Il; PO XIX, p. 101).
7% Khitrowo, p. 137.
nEd. Bedjan2, p. 52.
74 Khitrowo, p. 122, 162 respectively. The Russian Anonymous (ead. p. 227) saw the
body in Ayia Sophia!
1$ Khitrowo, p. 123. Buondelmonti (ed. Legrand, p. 244) mentions «tombs of the
emperors in purple marble ••
'ii Ed. Bedjan%, p. 52.
77 E.g. Stephen of Novgorod (loc. cit.). Rabban ~auma mentions only the pillar.
78 Khitrowo, p. 122-123.
70 P. 229: cp EBERSOLT, Sanctuairu, p. 10, note 3.
89 Khitrowo, p. 163.
• 1 Published by GALAVA.RIS, Dumbart<m 001&1 Papera, 13 (1959), p. 229 ff.
98 S.BROCK

The column outside the church is described more fully by Zosimus 82 :

« une tres haute colonne, sur laquelle est place un ange terrible et
grand, qui a en main Ie sceptre de Constantinople, et, vis-a-vis de lui,
se trouve l'empereur Constantin tenant dans ses mains la Ville impe-
riale et la remettant soua la garde de l'ange I).
12. For Piriliftan as a corruption of Peribleptos 83, compare the
form Perileftos which appears in the map of Constantinople to be
found in a manuscript (Ravenna, Classense 308) of Buondelmonti 84.
For the interesting wider implications that the word « our» may
have, see p. 81-82 above. According to Janin (p. 228) the monastery
was in Greek hands until 1653, but this is certainly incorrect, as
Berberian 85 points out, and there are numerous testimonies to the
monastery being in Armenian hands in the 16th century 88. On the
actual date of the transfer the sources are conflicting 87, but 1480
is the terminus ante, as is shown by a colophon to an Armenian Psalter
ofthat year 88.
The right 89 hand of the Baptist was seen by several of the Russian
pilgrims 90 and by Clavijo. The hand of Gregory the Wonderworker
is not mentioned in other sources, which speak instead of the head
(or body) of Gregory the Theologian (i.e. Gregory of Nazianzus) 91.
This appears to be the only mention of the sweet waters, and in
view of Clavijo's silence, despite a lengthy description of the mon-

82 Khitrowo, p. 203-204. Cp also Buondelmonti (ed. Legrand, p. 244) who speaks

of a bronze angel, and Constantine on his knees.
83 For this monastery, see Janin, p. 227-231.
K See GElIOLA, op. cit. (note 24), p. 268.
85 Berberian, p. 118-119 and note 5.
89 Berberian, p. 120-121.

87 For details, see Berberian, p. 112·126. According to a Firman published by Babinger

(. Ein Besitzstreit urn SuJu r.Ianastir unter Mehmed II [1473]. Beitrag zur Friihgeschichte
des armenischen Patriarchats in Konstantinopel., Charisteria Orientalia (Festschrift
Jan Rypka, Prague, 1956), p. 29-37) SuJu Manastir was in the hands ofmarkhasa Krikor
as early as 1458; the date however is questioned by BElIBtB.l:AN, Handes ATn8OI'!fG, 1961,
cola 723ff.
88 Cited by Berberian. p. 135-136; the identity of the Astuacacin of this manuscript
with Sulu Manastir is a.ssured by another Armenian Gospel colophon of 1495 (Berberian.
p. 138·139) which speaks of the. Astuacacin, which is now caned Sulu r.Ianastin.
59 Thus also designated by Clavijo (ed. Estrada, p. 3S; tr. LeStrange, p. 64 f.)
90 Khitrowo, p. 139 (Ignatius), p. 163 (Alexander), p. 204 (Zosimus).
91 So Ignatius, Zosimus; Alexander and Clavijo do not define which Gregory; Zosimns
adds « and the (relics) of Gregory of Nicomedia t.
 ---"~-----

A MEDlEVAL ARMENIAN PILGRThl'S DESCRIPTION 99

astery 92, it is just possible that this item has been displaced (perhaps
from the Blachernai church, where there was a spring in which the
imperial court bathed on certain feasts 93) ; the Turkish name, however,
Sulu manastir (monastery with water), supports the Armenian pil-
grim.
Simeon Lehac'i (p. 21-22) not unnaturally gives a much more
detailed description of the monastery.
13. This is the monastery of St John the Baptist in Petra, in the
North West of the city 94. The garment, sponge, lance and reed are all men-
tioned by Clavijo 9S, Zosimus 96, and Buondelmonti 97. Clavijo and Zosi-
mus also mention Judas's morsel and « the stone which the Jews placed
under the head of Christ I). Both Clavijo and Buondelmonti join the
Armenian in pointing out that these relics are all kept in the same
place.
14. The identity of this monastery of the Panaghia is not clear.
The names of the two saints are probably corrupt, and the latter
may well hide Thekla (H. B.); this, however, does not help identify
the monastery, for Thekla's 98 relics were seen by Anthony of Nov-
gorod in what must be another church (see on no. 4), while the English
Anonymous of 1190 states: « reliquie (of Thekla) non habentur in
Constantinopoli neque in alia terra» 99. Possibly the monastery should
be identified with the Panaghiotissa (Jauin, p. 222-223), whose church
is referred to as the Panaghia 'TcLll'MayvMwv in the colophon of the
Paris codex of the Suda 100.
15. This is the Church of St Romanos 101. It was known to some of
the Russian pilgrims as that of Daniel 102, thanks to its possession
of that prophet's relics; it seems certain that one and the same church
is meant, especially in view of the statement to be found in the Arme-
nian Synaxary 103 that the emperor Leo asked the Persians for the
IS Tr. LeStrange, p. 64·68 •
•, See EBERSoLT, Sanctuairll8, p. 48.
M J acin, p. 435-443.
9$ Ed. Estrada, p. 51; tr. LeStrange, p. 80·81.
M Khitrowo, p. 205 •
• 7 Ed. Legrand, p. 244-245.
t8 She had a martyrion in the Krithopoleia (Mateos, I, p. 43) •
.. Quoted by Janin, p. 149.
100 Cf. D6LGER, SB Munehe1l, 1936, no. 6, p. 31, 33-35_
101 Janin, p. 463-464.
102 Cp Janin, p. 89-90.
103 9th Kalotz = 17th December; PO XVIII, p.67.
100 S.BROCK

body of Daniel, and that his relics were accordingly deposited in the
Church of St Romanos, in a tomb (tapan) alongside the relics of Habak-
kuk.
For the restored reading Niketas, see the notes to the translation.
Niketas's relics are mentioned by Anthony of Novgorod, Stephen of
Novgorod and the Russian Anonymous 104. Those of St Romanos
were seen by Anthony and the Anonymous.
16. The Church of the Virgin of Blachernai 105 was destroyed by fire
in 1434, and Pero Tafur, visiting the city in 1437/8, writes do-day
it is so burnt that it cannot be repaired» 106. The date of the fire
provides the terminus ante quem for the Armenian pilgrim's visit
to the city. In the Armenian synaxary the name appears as Vlaser-
nas 107, and no doubt the form in the present text is corrupt. Clavijo 108
speaks of « three naves I), i.e. a nave with two aisles, and the second
storey referred to by the Armenian here was no doubt a gallery above
the aisles. Clavijo also says that the roofing of the aisles and the nave
is supported by green jasper columns, but he gives no figures.
The Girdle of the Virgin was originally housed in the Church of
the Virgin of Chalkoprateia 109, but the Russian pilgrims, from Stephen
of N ovgorod onwards 1lIl, all mention the girdle as being in the Blacher-
nai Church. The Armenian pilgrim preserves the memory of the relic's
former location.
17. The identity of this church is uncertain. None of the Russian
pilgrims mention the relics of St Alexis (= Alek'sianos). While it
is possible that the Naos TOU 'A,,€gtov m may be meant, it is more
likely that there is confusion with St John the Calybite, who had
much in common with St Alexis, and whose life in fact influenced
the Greek of the legend of St Alexis 112. This St John had a church in

104 Khitrowo, p. 103, 122,232 respectively.

105 Janin, p. 169·179.
106 Byzanti()1l, 7 (1932), p. 107.
107 30th Sahmi = 8th November; PO XV, p. 437. 26th Margac' = 2nd JuIy; PO XXI.

p.667.
108 Ed. Estrada, p. 50; tr. I.e Strange. p. 79.
109 Janin, p. 246-251.
110 Khitrowo, p. 124; cp p. 136 (Ignatius), p. 163 (Alexander) • part of the girdlet,
p. 204 (Zosimus), p. 233 (Anonymous).
111 Janin, p. 22.
112 cr.
A. AmAUD, La Ugeni1e ayriaque de 8. Alexis (Paris, 1889), p. XXIX f.
 A MEDIEVAL ARMENIAN PILGRIM:'S DESCRIPTION 101
Constantinople 113, where Anthony of Novgorod saw his body in
1200 114•
18. This is the famous porphyry column of Constantine 115. On
it once stood a statue of Constantine, but this was toppled in a storm
in 1105 and replaced by a cross. The latter is mentioned by Stephen
of Novgorod, Zosimus and the Russian Anonymous 116, while the
Armenian Synaxary 117 seems to conflate, stating that the statue held
a cross in its hand.
The Russian pilgrims and most other sources (including the Armenian
Synaxary) give the number of baskets as 12, i.e. based on Mark vi 43
and parallels; the number 7, however, as found in the Armenian here
(i.e. based on Mark viii 8 and parallels), is given both by the Greek
writers Kedrenos and Nikephoros Kallistos 118, and in the brief descrip-
tion of the city of Constantinople in the Geography attributed to
Vardan (13th century) 119.
19. This is the monastery of Martha 120, founded towards the end of
the 13th century by Mary (Martha was her religious name), sister of
Michael VIn Palaiologos. It was visited by several of the Russian
pilgrims, but the lists of relics seen there by them do not agree with
one another or with the Armenian:
John the Almoner: Stephen Alexander Zosimus Anonymous
Mary 01 Cleopha8: Armenian
Mary llagdalene :
Sa1ome 121 :
Theodo.$ia :
Irene:

The locality of the monastery is uncertain (see JANIN, loe. cit.)

but the maps of the city in manuscripts of Buondelmonti support
the position to the South of the Church of the Apostles, near the Lips
(= Fenari Isa l\fesciti).
113 Janin, p. 279-280.
lIt Khitrowo, p_ 105.
113 Janin2 (1964), p. 77 f.; EllERSOLT, Sanctuaire8, p. 71-74.
115 Khitrowo, p. 119, 203, 238 respectively.
117 14th Mareri = 21st ~Iay, PO XXI, p. 485; likewise, Vardan'u GW!Jmphy (ed.
H. Berberian [paris, 1960], p. 61). In the Synaxary the column is called I AniJeos t.
118 See EBERSOLT, Sanctuairea, p. 73, note 7.
lit Ed. Berberian, p. 61. Berberinn kindly drew my attention to this passage.
120 Janin, p. 336-338.
121 In 1578 the relics of Salome were seen in the PammakaristD$ (Janin, p. 219).
 S. BR()('K

20. There was a chnrc.h of the martyrs Cyprian and Justina lts
across the Golden Hom. but this c.\nl\ot Lt.' tbt> church in which the
relics of Cyprian were to be found in tht' 14th and 15th centuries,
since Stephen of Xo\"~ot"Od H3 s}X'n.ks of haying to cross the whole
city to reach it from the Church of The<Xlosia (on the Golden Horn),
and Zosimns 114 mentions the reli(,3 as being in n monastery near the
Hodegetria.
Zosimns correctly cnlls C:l,rian f thl' lla¢an t, i.e. Cyprian of
Antioch (whose legend inspired Goethe's Fa>I.~J). The Armenian Svnax-
ary 1U calls him both bishop and lIagian; it aho states that his'relics
were in Rome!

Birmingham.. ~bastian BROCK.

1" Ja.nin, p. 301.

123 KhltroWQ, p. 125.
1114 Kbitrowo, p. !.'O'l.
1:5 23m Bon"" 2nd October, PO \'1. p. 319·322.