The Virgin's veil was a Christian relic believed to have once belonged to Mary, mother of Jesus. It was kept in Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, between the 5th and 12th centuries. There are several accounts of the appearance of the garment of Mary in Constantinople, but they are not consistent in describing what kind of garment it was, how it was associated with Mary or how it came to Constantinople. A similar relic, perhaps from Constantinople, has been kept in Chartres Cathedral since the 9th or 10th century.