Constantinople: The Story of the Old Capital of the EmpireHutton, William Holden
History
Constantinople: The Story of the Old Capital of the Empire
Hutton, William Holden
Istanbul (Turkey)
Beyond this the wall of Theodosius comes to an end abruptly. From this
point the fortifications have a different character. "Along the
greater portion of their course these bulwarks consisted of a single
wall, without a moat; but at a short distance from the water, where
they stand on level ground, they formed a double wall, which was at
one time protected by a moat and constituted a citadel at the
north-west angle of the city." They belong, Professor van Millingen
has also clearly proved, to at least three periods, to the days of
Heraclius, of Leo, and of Manuel Comnenus. After the Kerko-Porta the
Theodosian walls turned eastwards; when the palace of Blachernae was
defended it was probably by the erection, after the fifth century, of
a new wall. The wall of Manuel Comnenus, built to give additional
protection, left the earlier wall on an inner line of defence.
The wall of Manuel is stronger than that of Theodosius, but it has no
moat; it resisted all the efforts of the Turkish artillery in 1453.
The public gate in it was that of the Kaligaria (the district where
military shoes were made), and from a tower beside it the last
Emperor and Phrantzes reconnoitred early in the morning of the last
day of the siege. North of this, from the tower which stands at the
point where the wall turns eastwards, the fortifications seem to have
been entirely rebuilt during the repairs of the fourteenth and
fifteenth century. In this piece stands the gate of Gyrolimnè, through
which probably the leaders of the Crusaders in 1203, who were encamped
on the hill just outside, entered to negotiate with Isaac Angelus.
Behind it stood the palace of Blachernae, the site of which may be
expected to reveal much when it is excavated.
Beyond this, from the great tower, unbattlemented, which has on it an
inscription in honour of Isaac Angelus, who reconstructed it in 1188,
the greatest difficulties surround the identification of the different
portions. The first part of the wall is of great height--sometimes
sixty-eight feet--and of thickness varying from over thirty to over
sixty feet. Three towers protect this part: two "twin towers" rising
to a great height above the walls. The special character of the walls
is determined by the fact that, within, the palace of Blachernae stood
upon a terraced hill. The second tower, much higher than that with the
inscription, may be identified with the tower of Isaac Angelus,
described by Nicetas Choniates as built by the Emperor both for the
defence of Blachernae, and for a residence for himself. Beyond it is a
third tower, which has been generally considered to be the tower of
Anemas, mentioned first by Anna Comnena, as the place in which Anemas,
who had conspired against her father, was confined.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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