The Theotokos of Blachernae: Constantinople's Most Powerful Icon

In this episode of Constantinople to Istanbul, Lucas and Luna explore the story of the Theotokos of Blachernae, the most venerated icon in the Byzantine Empire. Housed in the Church of St. Mary at Blachernae near the Golden Horn, this icon was believed to be the city's divine protectress. Lucas recounts its role in the Avar siege of 626, when Patriarch Sergius I led a procession with the icon along the Theodosian Walls, inspiring a desperate defense. He explains the tradition of the Blachernitissa as a 'Hodegetria' type icon, attributed to St. Luke, and its connection to the Akathist Hymn. Luna asks how the icon survived iconoclasm, and Lucas delves into the Second Council of Nicaea (787) and the Triumph of Orthodoxy in 843. They also discuss the icon's disappearance after the Fourth Crusade, with legends that it was taken to Moscow or Venice. The episode touches on the nearby Hagiasma (holy spring) of Blachernae, still visited today. A rich look at faith, art, and imperial identity.

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