The walls of Constantinople, also known as the Theodosian Walls, close off the historic peninsula of Istanbul from sea to sea: six and a half kilometres from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn. For a thousand years they were the finest fortification in the world, and the city behind them fell only twice: to the Crusaders in 1204, who broke in from the water, and to Mehmed II in 1453.
They are part of Istanbul's UNESCO World Heritage Site, they cost nothing to see, and they explain better than any museum why this city lasted so long. You don't need to walk their whole length: choose the right stretch, hear the story told well, and half an hour is enough to understand it all.
A little history
Emperor Theodosius II built them in the early 5th century, when the city had already outgrown the wall of Constantine. It was a triple line of defence: a moat, a low outer wall and an inner wall about 12 metres high with 96 towers. An earthquake brought them down in 447, and the citizens rebuilt them within a few months as Attila approached.
They held out against Avars, Arabs, Bulgars and the Rus. In 1453 Mehmed II pounded them for weeks with enormous cannons, one of them cast by a Hungarian engineer, and broke through at the lowest stretch, in the Lycus valley. The Ottomans kept the walls in repair until they no longer served any purpose, and in the 20th century some stretches were restored in ways that are still debated.
What to see along the Theodosian Walls
Yedikule, the Fortress of the Seven Towers
Yedikule stands at the southern end, by the Sea of Marmara. Mehmed II added three towers to the four Byzantine ones of the Golden Gate, the emperors' triumphal entrance, and created a fortress that served as both treasury and prison; Sultan Osman II died here in 1622. When it is open, you can wander around the inside and climb up onto the walls.
The Golden Gate
Emperors passed through it after their victories, past statues and bronze elephants. Today it is walled up inside Yedikule, but the white marble of its arches is easy to make out from outside.
The Lycus valley and the Cannon Gate
Between Topkapı gate (Top Kapı, the Cannon Gate, not the palace) and Edirnekapı runs the stretch where the city fell. There is an information panel beside the modern avenue, and the rebuilt towers give you a sense of the scale. At Edirnekapı, a small monument marks the spot where Mehmed II rode into the city.
Edirnekapı and the Chora Church
This is the highest point of the old city. From the park beside the gate you can walk along a restored stretch, and a five-minute walk away is the Chora Church, home to the finest Byzantine mosaics in Istanbul. It is the pairing I always choose.
The Palace of the Porphyrogenitus and the Golden Horn
Near the northern end stands Tekfur Sarayı, the only Byzantine palace still standing, now restored and home to a tile museum. Beyond it, the later Blachernae walls run down to the Golden Horn and the Balat neighbourhood.
Tips for your visit
Allow half an hour for one stretch, or two hours if you combine it with Chora and Balat. Some of the restored stretches have steps without handrails, so keep a close eye on children.
- Go in the morning: the parks by the gates are used by local residents and are quiet during the day.
- Don't climb the crumbling, unrestored stretches; the restored ones at Edirnekapı, Topkapı and Yedikule are all you need.
- Wear closed shoes: the floors of the towers are uneven.
Tickets and prices
Walking along the outside of the walls is free, and so are the parks and the restored stretches. Yedikule may charge an entrance fee or be closed for works, depending on the season; I check before we go. On our tours there is nothing for you to arrange.
Where they are and how to get there
The walls run along the western edge of the peninsula. Yedikule has its own station on the suburban rail line that follows the Sea of Marmara from Sirkeci; you can reach Edirnekapı and Topkapı by bus from Eminönü or in about 20 minutes by taxi from Sultanahmet.
How we visit them on our tours
Edirnekapı and Chora sit a short walk uphill from Balat, so they pair naturally with the Balat and Fener day tour, and I tell the story of the walls on longer tours such as Istanbul in Depth. To understand what happened in 1453, read the history of Istanbul before you go.
If you would like a whole day devoted to Byzantium, tell me about it and I'll design a tailor-made trip around it.