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Constantinople's
great city walls were breached
only twice in 1600 years.
The
5th-century city walls built by Emperor
Theodosius II stretch
for 6.5 km (4 miles) from Istanbul's Golden
Horn to the Sea
of Marmara.
You
can admire them at many points in Istanbul (especially
the several gates in the walls),
but it's easiest to combine a view
of the walls with a visit to the Kariye
Museum (Chora Church) and the
nearby Byzantine palace
of Tekfur
Saray (Palace of Constantine
Porphyrogenetus) in the Edirnekapi (Edirne
Gate) district.
Another good vantage point, relatively
easy to reach, is Yedikule, the Fortress
of the Seven Towers. More...
For
transportation tips, see Istanbul
City Tours, and also the Kariye
Museum page.
The
first breach of the walls was by
the Fourth Crusade in 1204,
the second by the cannons and troops
of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in
1453.
Several
of the main gates were restored during
the 1990s, but other parts of the
walls have been left in their unrestored
state.
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Above, the
great Theodosian city walls.
Below, the Mevlana (Rhegium) Gate restored
in the 1980s. |
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