Diegetic elements of narrative development in MR: A case of Heritage Interpretation Palace of the Porphyrogenitus (Tekfur)
Step into a fortress where time has many layers—and stories beg to be retold.
In this immersive, one-week workshop, students will explore how Mixed Reality (MR) can bring to life the hidden narratives of Porphyrogenitus (Tekfur Palace ). Tekfur Palace is a significant Byzantine-era palace structure located in the Edirnekapı district of Istanbul, adjacent to the city's land walls (Karakaya, 2019). It has a deep historical background dating back to the 10th century and was constructed as part of the Blachernae Palace complex in the 13th and 14th centuries. The palace is rectangular in plan, comprising three floors and a courtyard; the ground floor opens to the courtyard through columned arches. The construction materials employed in the edifice comprise stone, brick, and wood. The Tekfur Palace was employed as an official residence by Byzantine emperors. Thereafter, it remained in a state of disrepair and abandonment for a considerable duration during the Ottoman period. Subsequently, during the 18th century, the site transformed, becoming a workshop dedicated to the production of İznik tiles. Several tiles manufactured in this facility have been utilised in prominent historical edifices, including the Fountain of Sultan Ahmed III. Throughout the 20th century, the palace served a variety of functions, including but not limited to a stable, a refuge for displaced persons, and a glass bottle factory. Currently, Tekfur Palace functions as a museum following archaeological excavations and restoration works.
The term "Tekfur" is derived from a title bestowed by the Ottomans upon the Byzantine rulers of the palace. Tekfur Palace is a notable example of Byzantine architecture, with exquisite examples of tile craftsmanship from the Ottoman workshops that once operated within the palace. To summarise, the Tekfur Palace is a building of historical and architectural significance in Istanbul. Constructed during the late Byzantine period, it was later used for various purposes in the Ottoman era. The site is currently protected and used as a museum.
Working in small creative teams, participants will learn how to design diegetic elements within MR environments, blending technology with imagination. Field explorations, hands-on modeling, and narrative design exercises will guide students as they craft site-specific experiences that reimagine the past through the lens of the future. By the end of the week, each group will present a short video prototype—an MR-enabled interpretation of the Palace's history. This is a call for storytellers, coders, designers, and dreamers ready to experiment at the crossroads of memory, myth, and mixed reality.
Team Plants Invasion:
The Green Guardians of the Tekfur Palace.
Within the framework of the "a [TRH] Augmented Thresholds" Erasmus+ workshop, our group focused on the layered history of the Tekfur Palace, creating an Augmented Reality video to explore the site's chronological dimensions. Our project, situated directly at the palace walls, uses AR as a narrative device, guiding visitors through a three-act story of the structure’s life: its glorious past, its fragmented present, and a dystopian future.
"Plants Invasion: The Green Guardians of the Tekfur Palace" begins by digitally resurrecting the wall to its original state. Viewers witness a virtual reconstruction of the complete geometry, allowing them to grasp the architectural scale and integrity of the palace in its prime. This vision of the past then dissolves, confronting the user with the stark reality of the present—the collapsed stones and weathered ruins that define the site today.
The final act presents a provocative, dystopian future. Here, nature stages a quiet takeover, with resilient vegetation engulfing the masonry. In our vision, these plants are not agents of decay but become the new guardians of the palace, their roots and leaves forming a living shroud that protects and defines the heritage. Through this journey from architectural past to ecological future, our AR installation challenges viewers to reconsider what it means to sustain heritage, proposing a future where nature and ruin coexist in a new, symbiotic relationship.
Team The Last Emperor:
Tekfur Sarayi and the Byzantine legend.
An interactive travel through our past and legends in AR.
“The Last Emperor” is an augmented reality experience that brings to life the legend of Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last Byzantine emperor, through the ruins of Tekfur Sarayı in Istanbul.
Inspired by the myth that the emperor never died but sleeps beneath the palace, the project merges historical research, narrative design, and immersive technology. The story unfolds during the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, when the Byzantine capital was conquered by the Ottomans. Constantine’s final moments, shrouded in mystery, became the emotional core of the experience.
The narrative was developed as a three-part monologue, where the emperor reflects on the fall of his empire, his fate, and the weight of a disappearing world.
Using Adobe Aero, we constructed an augmented reality space where users can move freely through the story. The environment is layered with 2D visual elements — Byzantine mosaics, symbolic icons, and imperial textures — that merge past and present in a spatial dialogue.
Post-production was completed in Adobe After Effects, refining the atmosphere and transitions to give the piece a cohesive and cinematic rhythm.
“The Last Emperor” is more than a digital experience — it is an act of storytelling through ruins, where architecture becomes theatre and myth becomes memory. It invites users to rediscover forgotten spaces and immerse themselves in a narrative that still echoes in the stones of Istanbul.