Editing Constantinople (section)

=== 1081–1185: Constantinople under the Komneni ===
[[File:Byzantium@1180.jpg|thumb|The [[Byzantine Empire]] under [[Manuel I Komnenos|Manuel I]], {{circa|1180}}]]
[[File:Istanbul 2009 Comnenus Mosaics.JPG|thumb|12th-century [[mosaic]] from the upper gallery of the [[Hagia Sophia]], Constantinople. Emperor [[John II Komnenos|John II]] (1118–1143) is shown on the left, with the [[Mary, Mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] and infant [[Jesus]] in the centre, and John's consort [[Piroska of Hungary|Empress Irene]] on the right.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Freeman |first=Evan |url=https://pressbooks.pub/smarthistoryguidetobyzantineart/chapter/middle-byzantine-mosaics-in-hagia-sophia/ |title=Smarthistory Guide to Byzantine Art |date=2021 |chapter=Middle Byzantine Mosaics in Hagia Sophia}}</ref>]]
[[File:Fethiye_Museum_9625.jpg|thumb|[[Pammakaristos Church]], also known as the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Greek: Θεοτόκος ἡ Παμμακάριστος, "All-Blessed Mother of God"), is one of the most famous Greek Orthodox Byzantine churches in [[Istanbul]].]]

Under the Komnenian dynasty (1081–1185), Byzantium staged a remarkable recovery. In 1090–91, the nomadic [[Pechenegs]] reached the walls of Constantinople, where Emperor Alexius I with the aid of the [[Kipchaks]] annihilated their army.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Pechenegs |url=http://www.geocities.com/egfroth1/Pechenegs |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050829210704/http://www.geocities.com/egfroth1/Pechenegs |archive-date=2005-08-29 |access-date=2009-10-27}}, Steven Lowe and Dmitriy V. Ryaboy.</ref> In response to a call for aid from [[Alexios I Komnenos|Alexius]], the [[First Crusade]] assembled at Constantinople in 1096, but declining to put itself under Byzantine command set out for [[Jerusalem]] on its own account.<ref>There is a source for these events: the writer and historian [[Anna Komnene|Anna Comnena]] in her work [[The Alexiad]].</ref> [[John II Komnenos|John II]] built the monastery of the Pantocrator (Almighty) with a hospital for the poor of 50 beds.<ref>Vasiliev 1952, p. 472.</ref>

With the restoration of firm central government, the empire became fabulously wealthy. The population was rising (estimates for Constantinople in the 12th century vary from some 100,000 to 500,000), and towns and cities across the realm flourished. Meanwhile, the volume of money in circulation dramatically increased. This was reflected in Constantinople by the construction of the Blachernae palace, the creation of brilliant new works of art, and general prosperity at this time: an increase in trade, made possible by the growth of the Italian city-states, may have helped the growth of the economy. It is certain that the [[Venice|Venetians]] and others were active traders in Constantinople, making a living out of shipping goods between the Crusader Kingdoms of [[Outremer]] and the West, while also trading extensively with Byzantium and [[Egypt]]. The Venetians had factories on the north side of the Golden Horn, and large numbers of westerners were present in the city throughout the 12th century. Toward the end of [[Manuel I Komnenos]]'s reign, the number of foreigners in the city reached about 60,000–80,000 people out of a total population of about 400,000 people.<ref name="popu">J. Phillips, ''The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople'', 144.</ref> In 1171, Constantinople also contained a small community of 2,500 Jews.<ref name="Jews">J. Phillips, ''The Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople'', 155.</ref> In 1182, most Latin (Western European) inhabitants of Constantinople [[Massacre of the Latins|were massacred]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/cambridgeillustr00robe |title=The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Middle Ages: 950–1250 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=1986 |isbn=978-0-521-26645-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/cambridgeillustr00robe/page/506 506]–508 |access-date=2016-02-19 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

In artistic terms, the 12th century was a very productive period. There was a revival in the [[mosaic]] art, for example: Mosaics became more realistic and vivid, with an increased emphasis on depicting three-dimensional forms. There was an increased demand for art, with more people having access to the necessary wealth to commission and pay for such work.