The Sea Walls of Constantinople

Hello everyone, I'm Robin Pearson and I'm here to show you what remains of the Roman sea walls in Istanbul. Defences along the shoreline have always been a feature of the city of Byzantium, but the sea walls we see today originated in the 5th century, built shortly after the construction With Huns and Goths on the loose, the authorities in Constantinople wanted to make sure their capital was secure. So around 439AD they began to link the new land walls to sturdy sea defences that would stretch the length of the city. This was a single wall stretching for 8.5km, just over 5 miles, studded with more than a hundred towers. Large sections of the wall never saw any fighting since the currents below them are hard for foreign sailors to navigate. The only place where calm waters prevail is here on the Golden Horn. Sure enough it was along this section that the Crusaders made their breakthrough in 1204AD before sacking the city. The walls were repaired constantly during their lifetime by both the Romans and the Ottomans. Modern Istanbul has now removed large sections of the defences to make room for roads, railways and harbours. The longest surviving stretch is here along the east of the city. This was where both the Roman and Ottoman palaces were located. Their survival as tourist sites and the absence of harbours in this part of the city has allowed the modern world to bypass them, leaving us with the chance to explore their ruins. Our walk begins here on Kenedi Kedesi. The sea once came up to where this main road runs now. Almost immediately we come to the remains of the Roman Bucolean Palace. As you can see it's tricky to get a wide shot of the site because of the trees, but when we get closer the ruins of a palace built directly into the sea walls reveals itself. Let's take a look from above to get a better sense of what we're dealing with. Starting from the left hand side you can see that the wall turns at a right angle and then runs straight to that tower on the right of the picture. The park that now fills the land in between the two used to be the palace harbour. By building this palace right up against the walls the Romans could better protect the imperial family and give them a safe port to travel from. The Emperor Constantine established an imperial palace here in the south east of the city. But since existing buildings blocked expansion in other directions the only way subsequent emperors could add apartments to the complex was to build down towards the sea. Over the centuries descending terraces were constructed to allow this. You can see a recreation of these terraces here as the ground slopes down. And there's the Bucoleon harbour at the bottom. Theodosius II built this extension to the palace, possibly at the same time as the expanded sea walls were wrapping around the city. Not only did this give the imperial family a nice sea view, but the harbour gave them easy access to other parts of the city or further afield. Otherwise they'd have to travel down Constantinople's high streets which were crowded and less secure. Bucoleon literally means bull-lion and took its name from a huge statue of a lion fighting a bull which decorated the harbour. Though that statue has now disappeared, two large lions which stood nearby can be seen in the archaeological museum. This huge façade with marble framed windows may have been added by the Emperor Theophilus who carried out extensive repairs to the sea walls in the 9th century. This is the only part of the Roman imperial palace which survives above ground, giving us a flavour of the overall grandeur. The Bucoleon Palace became the main residence of the imperial family during the middle centuries of the Byzantine era. Dozens of major figures would have stared out of these very windows. In fact, it was somewhere along here that one of the most dramatic events in imperial history took place. The Emperor Nikephoros Phokas, fearing for his safety, had extra walls built to keep the palace safe from the general population. But he should have been looking closer to home. His nephew John Zimiskes was plotting to overthrow him. John Zimiskes and his allies sailed a small boat up to these walls and then whistled to their accomplices above. They were pulled up in a basket, made their way to Nikephoros' bedroom and murdered him while he slept. After the Crusaders captured the city in 1204, the Bucoleon became the home of the first Latin emperor, Baldwin of Flanders. But the site was already in decline and was abandoned at some point after this. Just before you reach the marble windows, you can spot a small gate in the walls. This could be the main entrance to the palace from the harbour. This may be the very gate which the two lions once flanked. You will also see a hole in the wall that's at a right angle to the rest of the defences. This structure was a palace cistern. In theory, you can go inside, but be careful. Homeless men now live here. They have done quite a lot of redecorating and according to the BBC PBS documentary Ancient Invisible Cities, the graffiti inside says Hassan lives here now. Following the road north along the seashore, we continue our walk. Large parts of the walls are still in place, though modern roads and buildings puncture them regularly. The next site of interest are these arched windows. Scholars think they may be a 5th century mansion, known as the House of Marina, that was incorporated into the sea walls as they expanded. A little further along we come to one of the gates in the sea walls which has survived. Apparently this was known as the Stable Gates in Ottoman times because of its proximity to the Topkapi stables. With modern buildings being so tall it can sometimes be difficult to get a sense of Istanbul's seven hills, but here you get a nice view of the Achaia Sophia up above us near the first hill, though you should go to thebyzantinelegacy.com for even better shots. Ahead now is a long undisturbed section of the walls, and a nice view of the Bosphorus Bridge. You can see heavy modern restoration along this section, as well as one of the walled up gates. Further along you will find two sea pavilions which have been built into the walls. This second one is Ottoman and was known as the Pearl Pavilion. Built in 1590, it would have provided a pleasant spot along the waters for royal gatherings. The Topkapi Palace sits just beyond this section of the walls. Turning back for a moment to this tower which you can find between the two pavilions, we see some Byzantine inscriptions in good condition. In part this is because of modern restoration which seems to have garbled them slightly. One is from Theophilus in the 9th century, the emperor who carried out major restorations along this section, and the other is from Leo IV and his brother Alexander almost a century later. Just to the north of the Pearl Pavilion we come to the ruins of what may have been a Roman monastery. You can see that this visible façade is a few feet back from the walls. They would once have been behind them but have been exposed, opening up these chambers to our eyes. In Byzantine times this area was home to large charitable and religious complexes. The emperors Constantine Monomachos and Alexios Komnenos invested heavily here. This may have been an entrance into this part of the city but some scholars speculate that these rooms were actually part of the Monastery of Christ Philanthropos. A monastery of that name was built by Alexios Komnenos' wife Irene. And if this is it then Alexios himself was buried somewhere back there in 1118. Several scholars dispute this however, believing that building to have been on the other side of the city. Confusingly though, a later monastery of the same name definitely was found in this area. That monastery was active in the 14th century and was the work of Irene Chumena, the widow of John Palaiologos. If it was here, this reconstruction suggests what it may have looked like. You can see Byzantine decoration all over the exterior surfaces. The materials and style used suggest that this façade at least dates to the Palaiologon period. The site has yet to be fully excavated, so I'd be careful before going in search of Alexios' tomb. Next we pass the Mill Gate, which is still in use. And up ahead are several towers with more inscriptions from the Emperor Theophilus. He may have been inspired to restore the walls after his father came close to being overthrown during a civil war. His father's enemy, Thomas the Slav, had brought ships from across the empire to besiege Constantinople. Theophilus' name is on all of these towers, usually in a form like this. Tower of Theophilus, faithful and great king and emperor in Christ. These towers sit either side of this statue. Who is Turgut Reis, you ask? He was an important Ottoman commander who helped that empire gain naval supremacy over the eastern Mediterranean. I assume his statue is here because we are near Seraglio Point, the best vantage point to take in the unique geography of Constantinople. This is where the Golden Horn begins to encircle the city, while ahead of you is the Bosphorus and to your right, the Sea of Marmara. This final section of the walls gives us a better sense of the battlements between towers. It also has our final Byzantine inscription. Possessing thee, O Christ, a wall that cannot be broken, Theophilus, king and pious emperor, erected this wall upon new foundations, which, Lord of all, guard with thy might and display to the end of time, standing unshaken and unmoved. That is the end of the walls that one can easily see in one walk. You are now at Seraglio Point and can take in the meeting of the waters with a drink, or pop into Gulhane Park and visit the Column of the Goths, which is nearby. There are other pieces of the sea wall still standing along both the Marmara and the Golden Horn, but they are spread far and wide and aren't easily incorporated into other visits. If you'd like to find them though, check out thebyzantinelegacy.com, where the excellent map tracks where each piece is. The walk I've shown you today can be combined with a number of other sites. You could begin at the Hippodrome and walk down the hill, visiting the church of Sergius and Bacchus on the way. The whole route would only take an hour or so, and if you are dragging someone with you who isn't fascinated by old walls, then sweeten the deal by telling them that dolphins can be spotted regularly in the Sea of Marmara. You can also see more pieces of the decoration and inscriptions from the sea walls in the Istanbul Archaeological Museum, as well as those huge lions from outside the Bukolyan Palace. If you'd like more detailed information about the sea walls, then visit thebyzantinelegacy.com. It's a fantastic website providing breakdowns of the Byzantine buildings that can still be seen today, and there you'll find most of the still images and sketches used in these videos.