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City Walls
The location of old Istanbul is marked in a triangular shape by the
6½ km-long city wall, called Theodosius II city walls, which
started construction in 413. An earthquake in 447 almost destroyed
them, so were rebuilt in a hasty two months. The mammoth effort was
thanks to 16,000 citizens who were forced to work to get it completed
in time to prevent Attila’s forces who were fast advancing. They
completed construction of the original walls, 5m thick and 12m high,
plus and outer wall of 2m by 8.5m, |
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and a moat. Since 1990, some areas
have been rebuilt, and some unrestored areas collapsed during the
1999 earthquake. It is possible to walk along the entire length,
which would take a full day, with highlights including Yedikule,
Edirnekapi and Mihrimah Camii.
At the southern point of the walls is Yedikule and the Golden Gate,
the most impressive within the walls. The area is an old, attractive
quarter with many churches, since this is the centre of Rum Orthodoxy,
the last remaining descendants of the Byzantine Greeks. The Gate
is flanked by two marble towers, a monumental entrance through which
important state visitors and triumphant emperors would pass through.
The gold-plated doors were removed after the collapse of the empire
and the entrance bricked up, although the three arches are still
visible.
The other five towers were
added by Mehmet the Conqueror, and together with the 12m wall it
forms the enclave which can be seen today. Two of the towers were
prisons, and the one in the second tower was also an execution chamber.
The wooden gallows and the well into which the heads would roll,
are still visible today, as are some instruments of torture. While
the entire enclave was used as a treasury, warehouse and ambassadorial
jail, now it is a museum, still with the Golden Gate towers and
in the summer months, concerts performed here.
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Anadolu and Rumeli Hisari
On the Asian side of the Bosphorus, Anadolu Hisari is a small castle
built during the 1390s by Sultan Beyazit. Together with Rumeli, on
the European side built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452, the two fortresses
had complete control of passing transport between the Black Sea and
the Marmara. Rumeli, an early Ottoman fortress built in only four
months, before the Ottoman conquest of the city, to prevent the aides
of Byzantine from the north.
Anadolu is always open to explore
the walls, and Rumeli has a small open-air theatre showing concerts
and plays in summer. There is also a café perched on the top,
a popular place in summer evenings for tea, served from great samovars,
and light meals. Both fortresses have, of course, a great panoramic
view of the Bosphorus. |
Kiz Tower
Considered to be symbolic of Istanbul, this tiny tower was established
on a small island at the entrance of the Bosphorus. In the past, it
was used as a watchtower and a lighthouse, until its present purpose
of a tourist attraction. Western sources describe this as Leander’s
Tower, who was drowned while swimming, to reach his lover Hera. Another
story suggests that it was a tower where an emperor’s daughter
put her there for security, having dreamt that she would be bitten
by a snake. |
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Galata Tower
The tower was built by the Genoese in 1348, during their occupation
of the area, primarily to prevent attacks. Originally known as the
Tower of Christ, it stood above the fortification surrounding the
Genoese city-state. There is a spiral rock staircase which ascends
to the top viewing platform, which today offers visitors spectacular
360 degree panorama of the entire city. The tower was restored in
1967, and an elevator was installed to offer a less tiring alternative
to the steep climb. There is also a restaurant on the top floor.
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Beyazit Tower
Within the grounds of the central building of Istanbul’s University
(formerly the palace of Mehmet the Conqueror) this wooden tower was
built for fire watchers, and remains a landmark throughout the city.
Mahmud II demolished it in order to construct a better one, and according
to the inscription, he ordered a rock-filled tower in 1828 to be built
by the Ministry of Defense. The monument is 50m high, and from the
upper landing, accessible via wooden staircase, offers a superb overview
of the city.
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Kesit
Travel Agency
Caglayan Mah. 2007 Sok. No: 7 TR-07230 Antalya /
Turkey
Tel: + 90 - 242 - 323 90 09 - Fax: +90-242 - 323 96
66
E-mail :
info@kesit.com
Licence Nr : 3528
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