ABSTRACT
ThesquarebesideHaghiaSophiaoccupiesthesite whichwa.soncetheheartofancientConstantinople.This squarecoincidesalmostexactlywiththeAugusta.eum,the publicforecourttotheGreatPalaceofByzantium..Onits northernsidetheAugustaeumgaveaccesstothechurchof HaghiaSophiaandtothePatriarchalPalace,whileoutside itssoutheasterncornerstoodtheChalke,orBrazenHouse, themonumentalvestibuletotheGreatPalace.TheHippodromewa.slocatedjusttothesouthwestoftheAugustaeum, andtheBathsofZeuxippustoitssouth.Tothewestof theAuguataeumtherewa.sanothergreatcommunalsquare, theBasilica,aporticoedstoasurroundedbysomeofthe mostimportantpublicinstitutionsinthecity,includingthe UniversityofConstantinople,thecentrallawcourtsofthe Empire,theprincipalpubliclibrary,andalargeoutdoor book-market.ThustheAugustaeumanditsimmediate neighborhoodwereattheveryhuboflifeintheancient city.Todaythesquareisnolongeraciviccenter,but itisstillaVf1l'Ycentralstarting-pointforvisiting theantiquitiesoftheoldcity.
