Peacock symbolism of Constantinople. On the junction of the East and the West, antiquity and christianity

This report is an attempt to unravel one of the Constantinople urban planning enigma. There are so called weeping columns in Istanbul. They are decorated with a sort of inverted drops or current up tears. We consider this decorative detail as a peacock eye . Searching this problem we turn to Ancient Greek mythology, to ancient and Christian symbols, associated with a peacock. It is believed that peacock first appeared in Greece in the Samos sanctuary of Hera. There is a story about beautiful Io, turned into a snow-white cow. She was guarded by Giant Argus, whose body was covered with a lot of eyes. When he had been killed, Hera transferred his numerous eyes to the plumage of her beloved bird - a peacock. Peacock is considered a sacred bird in Hinduism. The head of the archangels Malak Tavus in the religion of the Yezidis is depicted as a peacock. Peacock was the Empress s emblem in Ancient Rome. It’s the personification of royalty, Resurrection and the eternal life as a Christian symbol. We examine peacock symbols in the medieval art and topography of Constantinople. Our hypothesis: the peacock decoration is a part of the urban planning program according to which Constantinople represents the incarnation of Heavenly Jerusalem.