Great Sacred Palace

The Great Sacred Palace is the official residence of the Mesogeian monarch, located in the Alexandropolis, the nation's capital. The Great Sacred palace is a large imperial complex located in the center of the old city of Alexandropolis. The palace complex consists of three separate palaces, the Daphne Palace, Triconchos Palace, and Boukoleon Palace, and contains over 900 separate buildings, consisting of the lavishly furnished state apartments, the intimate private apartments of the Emperor and the Imperial family, the Gynaikeion (the emperor's harem), treasuries, chapels, bathhouses, a Palaestra and a gymnasia, several libraries, storerooms, quarters for the palace courtiers, eunuchs, servants, and guards, several courtyards, gardens, a zoo and one of the world's largest museums, spread over 72 hectares (180 acres).

The palace originated in the 4th century AD and has been built and rebuilt over the last thousand years with each successive emperor adding their own constructions to the palace complex. As a result of the constant construction and rebuilding of the buildings in the palace complex the imperial palace is infamous for its stylistic clashes with the oldest sections of the palace built in the medieval Anatolian style clashing with the more modernist styles of Baroque, Rococo, and neoclassicism. In fact nowhere is this clash of artistic styles more profound then in the palace's lavishly decorated interior which features icons, mosaics, tapestries, paintings, domed chapels, hypostyle halls, ornamented vaulted ceilings, bathing pools, columns, and arches; all of which are drawn from different architectural styles.

Imperial Gate

The Imperial gate known as the Chalke gate is the main entrance into the Imperial palace with it serving as the point of entry to the First Courtyard. The Imperial Gate's name Chalke comes from the bronze tiles that were used on its roof. Currently the gate's interior is decorated with marble and mosaics. An icon of Christ was once suspended from the gate's roof, but it was removed during the Iconoclasm period in the medieval age.

Daphne Palace

A view of the Daphne palace from the sea. Its style is a strict contrast to the Baroque and neoclassical styles of its sister palaces, the Triconchos, and the Boukoleon respectively

The Daphne Palace is the largest and oldest section of the imperial palace complex, with portions of the ancient palace, dating back all the way to the 4th century AD. This portion of the imperial palace complex contains such notable buildings, as the palace barracks, palace kitchens, palace hospital, Outer Treasury, the Public Audience Chamber, the Chrysotriklinos, the Imperial Stables, the Covered Hippodrome, the Emperor's old parade apartments, Private Audience Chamber, the Accubita, the Inner Treasury, Miniature and Portrait Gallery, Imperial Privy Library, Dormitory of the Imperial Page, quarters of the Eunuchs, the Gynaikeion (imperial harem), the Church of the Virgin of the Pharos, a polo field, gardens, pavilions, kiosks, and terraces.

First Courtyard

The First Courtyard of the Daphne Imperial palace, commonly called the Parade court is surrounded by high walls is the largest palace courtyard, and serves a ceremonial function during official receptions because during the traditional triumph ceremony court officials and the palace guards line up here in their parade dress. Because the barracks of the Scholai are located on the grounds the Courtyard is often referred to as the court of the Scholai

Second Courtyard

The Second Courtyard is accessed through the Gate of Salutatio. The Gate of Salutatio is flanked by two large, pointed octagonal towers which once served as guardhouses. The Second Courtyard or Concilium Square is surrounded by the palace hospital, palace kitchens, barracks of the Candidati, imperial stables, the Covered Hippdrome, the Imperial Gynaikeion, the Outer Treasury, the Public Audience Chamber, and the Chrysotriklinos (the golden reception hall).

The Second courtyard is used as a gathering place for the palace courtiers.

Palace kitchens

The palace kitchens, viewed from the Second Courtyard.

The palace kitchens were originally constructed in the 4th century with much of the old palace, and were connected to the rest of the palace, but when a fire destroyed the palace kitchens in the 16th century it was decided that the rebuilt palace kitchens would be a separate building. The palace kitchens faces the Second Courtyard on one side and the palace walls on the other. Originally constructed to feed 4,000 people at one time, the kitchens now accommodates three times that number regularly. Presently there are close to 900 persons attached to the palace kitchens alone.

The palace kitchens consists of the main kitchens, beverages room, confectionery room, creamery, winery, tea room, storerooms, and rooms for the cooks, chefs, and servants attached to the palace kitchens. The palace kitchens contains quarters for the staff in addition to baths, a chapel, and palaestra and gymnasia.

Third Courtyard

The Charites Gate, known as the gate of grace, represents the Emperor's presence in the palace.

The Gate of Charites, known as the Gate of Grace is the entrance into the inner Courtyard, known as the Third Courtyard. The name of the gate comes from all those passing through its gates needing the Emperor's permission to pass within it. Even the most senior government officials in the Mesogeian empire are only granted authorization to pass into the third courtyard on certain occasions, and then only under specified conditions.

The Third Courtyard known as the Inner Court, commonly called the heart of the palace features lush gardens, the private residence of the imperial family, and is surrounded by the Private Audience Chamber, the Accubita, the Inner Treasury, Miniature and Portrait Gallery, Imperial Privy Library, Dormitory of the Imperial Pages, quarters of the Eunuchs, the Gynaikeion, the Church of the Virgin of the Pharos.

One of the oldest surviving sections of the palace is the Octagon, the Imperial State bedchamber, the most exclusive section of the Imperial parade apartments. A passage of the Imperial Parade Apartments leads directly to the imperial box (kathisma) in the Hippodrome.

Private Audience Chamber

Located just behind the Gate of grace is the Private Audience Chamber. It was in this chamber during the middle ages where the Emperor would receive the petitions from honored persons. As a result of its special use, it became known as the chamber of petitions. Rectangular in shape, the private audience chamber is a kiosk surrounded by a colonnade of 22 decorative columns supporting the structures' roof. The building dates back to the 14th century having served as a meeting room for the emperor's Sacred Council.

The Private Audience Chamber's ceiling was painted with a blue hue and studded with golden constellations, while the walls of the chamber were inlaid with blue and white tiles. The chamber was further furnished with richly decorated mosaics on its floors and priceless carpets and rugs. The chamber was renovated in the 1800s after a fire that nearly burned the structure to the ground.

The Private Audience Chamber, or the Hall of Petititons.

Fourth Courtyard

The Fourth Courtyard is the innermost private arena of the Emperor and his family, consisting of gardens, pavilions, kiosks, and terraces. This section of the palace also contains a Tzykanisterion, a polo field.

Triconchos Palace

The Triconchos is the second oldest section of the palace dating back to the early middle ages. Aside from the more modern Boukoleon Palace, the palace is the most public section of the palace, consisting of several wings including Augusta wing, Caesar Wing, the Imperial Chancellery Wing, Imperial Court Library, Festi Wing, Augustus wing, and the Hormisdas Palace as well as the Hormisdas wing consisting of the Hormisdas monastery, the Hormisdas Church, as well as the Hormisdas Palace which serves as the Imperial Museum.

It also contains the Imperial Riding school, the lavishly decorated Nea Ekklesia

The Festi wing sits on the site of a former opera-house complex that was demolished in the 17th century to make way for an expanded imperial palace. The Festi wing as it is known serves as the site of major venues hosted by the court. It includes the Imperial Court Theatre, the large reception hall known as the Festi hall, and a concert hall for the playing of imperial operas.

Boukoleon Palace

Facing the sea the Boukoleon palace is the most modern section of the palace. Starting in the 16th century, the Boukoleon gradually became the most inhabited section of the palace with the Emperor's actual bedchamber and apartments being in the private area of the palace. The Boukoleon palace is connected to the Daphne palace by way of the Hall of Constantine, the palace complex's largest throne hall.

The palace contains over a thousand rooms including the lavishly expansive state apartments, the private apartments of the emperor and his family. The state apartments of the Boukoleon Palace include, the Music Hall, the Michael Hall, and the Porcelain Antechamber, the Small Throne room, the Armorial Hall, War Gallery, Hall of Constantine, as well as the Grand Chapel.

The Palace's private apartments includes separate apartments for the Emperor, Empress, the Despot, Despotissa, and various other members of the Imperial family. The private apartments in the Boukoleon also contains a private dining room, gothic style library, and the Emperor's personal study, not to be confused with his official office located in the Caesar Wing of the Triconchos palace.