What was the name of Constantinople’s main imperial palace complex during the Byzantine Empire?

Constantinople’s main imperial palace complex during much of the Byzantine Empire was the Great Palace of Constantinople.

Also called the Sacred Palace, the complex stood beside the Hippodrome and Hagia Sophia in the city’s ceremonial heart. It was not a single palace designed at one time, but a large group of buildings, courtyards, churches, reception halls, terraces, and administrative spaces developed by successive emperors.

The complex expanded from the fourth century onward and included major halls such as the Chrysotriklinos, an important imperial audience chamber. The nearby Boukoleon Palace was associated with the wider waterfront palace area but was a distinct structure, so the two names should not be treated as synonyms.

From the eleventh century, emperors increasingly favoured the Palace of Blachernae in the city’s northwest. Even so, the Great Palace remained central to Byzantine ceremonial memory. Much of it disappeared beneath later construction, although archaeological remains and the Great Palace Mosaic Museum preserve evidence of its scale and decoration.