Overview:

The Walls of Constantinople were a defensive fortification system that was established to protect the Byzantine capital of Constantinople from invaders. Built in the fourth century AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, the walls were eventually expanded to cover an area of more than four miles long, with thick walls and more than 90 towers. These walls held off invaders throughout the Byzantine Empire for over a thousand years. Although breaches occasionally occurred, the walls were able to shield Constantinople from capture until 1453 when it was finally overrun by the Ottoman Turks. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Turkey
Prominent Features:

1. The Theodosian Walls: Built in 413 A.D., this complex series of walls and towers was constructed to protect the Byzantine Empire at its greatest stretch. It was named after Emperor Theodosius II and stretches from the Golden Horn in the north to the Sea of Marmara in the south. 2. The Sea Walls: These walls, constructed in the 5th century, protect the city from the sea by extending from the Golden Horn to the Sea of Marmara. Part of the Theodosian Walls complex, the Sea Walls were designed to protect against amphibious attacks. 3. The Helleksian Wall: Constructed in 447 A.D., this wall was built by the Emperor Theodosius II along the Marmara Sea’s eastern side in order to protect the city from sea invasions. 4. The Constantinian Wall: Built by Emperor Constantine I in the 4th-5th century, this large wall encircles the old city from the Theodosian Walls to the Golden Horn. 5. The Valens Wall: Built by Emperor Valens in the late 4th century, this wall stretches from the Theodosian Walls to the Marmara Sea. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Turkey.

History:

The construction of the walls of Constantinople began as early as the 5th century, when the Roman Emperor Theodosius II ordered the building of a wall around the city in order to protect it from invaders. At the time of its completion, the defensive city walls were the most extensive of their kind in the world and the wall itself was around 18 miles in length. The walls were destroyed and rebuilt numerous times over the centuries, with successive rulers making changes and improvements. In the 11th century, the Anatolian Seljuk Turks invaded Constantinople and rebuilt the walls, incorporating the Theodosian Walls into their own design. However, during the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the walls were destroyed by the Crusaders. In the 15th century, Sultan Mehmet II ordered the rebuilding of the walls and by 1453 the walls had been restored and strengthened significantly. The walls consisted of an outer wall which was half the height of the inner wall built around the city, with 12 additional towers, a moat, and three large gates. During this period, the walls stood 15 meters high and were 3 meters thick, with the wall’s width ranging from 15 to 20 meters. The walls acted as crucial fortifications during the Siege of Constantinople of 1453 when Sultan Mehmet II and his Ottoman Army successfully attacked the city and captured Constantinople. After the city was taken, Sultan Mehmet II ordered more walls to be built to protect the city from future attacks. The walls of Constantinople stood firm for hundreds of years until they were breached by the troops of Sultan Murad III in the 16th century. After this, the walls were renovated and continued to serve as a practical defense of Istanbul until the end of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Today, only some sections of the walls remain standing and can be visited in Istanbul. They serve both as a reminder of the legacy of the Byzantine city as well as a living, visual reminder of the long and intricate history of the city of Istanbul. Visit one of the famous monuments of Turkey with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. The original walls of Constantinople were built by Constantine the Great in the 4th century to protect the city from invading forces. 2. The walls were over 19 km long and featured a moat, artillery towers, and more than 20 major and minor gates. 3. The walls were reinforced many times over the centuries, including the addition of arrow slits, firing platforms, and embrasures during the reign of Theodosius II in the 5th century and the Venetian faction during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. 4. The walls were considered to be nearly impregnable and were rarely breached, with the first major breach occurring in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. 5. The walls were eventually defeated by the forces of Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453 after a siege lasting several months. 6. The surviving sections of the walls are now among the most popular tourist destinations in Istanbul and are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Historic Areas of Istanbul. One of the historical monuments of Turkey, it tells the story of a bygone era