|
THEODOSIAN (CITY) WALLS |

|
 |
 |
|
The
Walls of Constantinople surrounded the Roman and Byzantine city of
Constantinople.
The
original walls of the city were built in the 8th century BC when
Byzantium was founded by Greek colonists from Megara. At the time
the city covered an acropolis and little more. The colony was
relatively unimportant by the Roman period, but Septimius Severus
built a new set of walls during his reign, bringing more land into
the city. When Constantine moved the capital of the empire to
Byzantium, which he renamed Constantinople, he greatly expanded the
walls of the city, incorporating even more territory.
The
final set of walls were built during Theodosius II, stretching
almost seven kilometres from the Golden Horn to the Sea of Marmara.
Although named after Theodosius they were actually constructed under
the direction of Anthemius, prefect of the Eastern Empire, beginning
in 413. They were built in response to the threat from the Huns, on
higher ground than the old Severan Wall. In 439 the first sea walls
were built. In 447 the walls were damaged by an earthquake, and were
quickly rebuilt in time to stop Attila's army. |
 |

|
 |
|
The
rebuilt walls consisted of three interconnected sets of walls,
separated by ditches and moats. The walls were about five metres
thick and up to twenty metres high. These walls were almost
inpenetrable, saving the city during sieges from the Bulgars, Arabs,
and Rus', among others. In the northwestern corner of the city the
Theodosian Walls were relatively weaker, but were expanded by Leo I.
The northern coast of the city, along the Golden Horn, also had a
separate set of walls.
The
inner walls had massive square or hexagonal towers. The southern end
of the walls, at the Sea of Marmara, was the location of the Marble
Tower. There were ten gates, the four major ones being the Golden
Gate at the southern end, the Selymbria Gate leading to the Forum of
Constantine and Hagia Sophia, the Adrianople Gate connecting
Constantinople's Mese (the main street) with the city of
Adrianople and the Via Egnatia, and the Blachernae Gate in the
north. |
 |
|
The
first attackers to break through the walls were the knights of the
Fourth Crusade, who managed to scale the sea walls and also break
the Wall of Leo in the northwestern Blachernae section of the city.
The
second and final time the walls were breached was during the Siege
of Constantinople in 1453, by the Ottomans; however, they did not
break through by force, but entered through the Adrianople Gate,
which happened to be open, apparently accidentally but possibly
through treachery. A large plaque today marks the spot where the
Ottomans entered.
Under
the Ottomans, the Golden Gate, known to them as Yedikule ("the Seven
Towers"), was used as a prison. Many parts of the walls are still
standing today and are a testament to the extraordinary longevity of
the empire. They have been damaged by recent earthquakes, but many
sections have also been restored. The wall runs through the suburbs
of modern Istanbul, with a belt of parkland flanking their course.
The walls are pierced at intervals by modern roads leading westwards
out of the city. |
|