Golden Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 09/22/2025 - 12:54

Marching north along the mighty Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople, the traveller soon encounters the Golden Gate — Chryseia Pyle in Greek, Porta Aurea in Latin, and Altınkapı or Yaldızlıkapı in Turkish. This was the second gate on the route, coming just after the modest First Military Gate, a small postern linking the land and sea walls.

This was no ordinary portal — it was the ceremonial gateway of the Byzantine capital. Here, after passing through the gate, Via Egnatia transformed into the southwest branch of the Mese, the main thoroughfare of ancient Constantinople and the scene of many Byzantine imperial processions. The Mese then led straight into the heart of the city, passing the main fora and palaces on its way. Thus, Emperors rode through the Golden Gate in triumph after military victories, or during coronations and other state celebrations. On rare and distinguished occasions, the privilege was extended to outsiders: papal legates in 519 and 868, and even Pope Constantine himself in 710.

Golden Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

Notion

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 09/19/2025 - 13:25

Extensive ruins of the ancient city Notion (Notium), meaning “southern” in ancient Greek, are picturesquely situated on a hilltop overlooking the Aegean Sea coast and Ahmetbeyli village. Notion once thrived as the bustling port for the nearby city of Colophon and the oracular centre of Claros, welcoming merchants, travellers, and countless pilgrims en route to the sacred oracle of Apollo at Claros. Today, the remnants of this ancient city lie quietly to the east of the modern town of Ahmetbeyli, nestled within the Menderes district of Izmir Province, while the echoes of Notion's past still linger in the impressive remains of its defensive walls, sprawling necropolis, ancient temples, spacious agoras, and a timeworn theatre.

Stratonikeia - a walk through a time tunnel of ancient civilisations

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 09/18/2025 - 17:38

Text and photos by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

I have never been a fan of the reconstruction of ancient cities, for me much of their history is not just in the ruins themselves but in the earthquakes, battles and other disasters that have befallen these sites. The mysteries hidden in the ruins, the broken fragments of times gone by. For example, the column that once stood so majestically at the temple of Apollo in Didyma, now lays in an aesthetic, concertinaed pattern behind the sanctuary. One can almost feel the earth shaking and imagine the mighty columns swaying before they fell. You can almost hear the reverberating, thunderous noise they made as they toppled to earth. It must have been a terrifying experience, had anyone witnessed it. The ruins tell their own story, so I believe it would be a travesty to reconstruct them and to destroy this part of their history.

Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 09/15/2025 - 10:46

The Land Walls of Constantinople — one of the longest and oldest surviving defence systems in Europe — stretch for 7.2 kilometres along the western edge of the Historical Peninsula of modern-day Istanbul. Built in the early 5th century CE and added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, this monumental fortification includes the 5.7 km-long Theodosian Walls and the Blachernae Walls, which extend from the Tekfur Palace (Palace of the Porphyrogenitus) to the Golden Horn. For centuries, these formidable barriers protected Constantinople from countless sieges. The walls are pierced by numerous gates — some dating back to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) era, others added later during Ottoman times.

Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople - a restored section

Belgrade (Xylokerkos) Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 09/11/2025 - 16:48

The Xylokerkos or Xerokerkos Gate of the Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople, now known as the Belgrade Gate (Belgrat Kapısı), stands between towers 22 and 23, around 750 meters to the north of the Yedikule Fortress. Its name derives from the fact that it led to a wooden circus (amphitheatre) outside the walls. The gate complex is approximately 12 meters wide and almost 20 meters high, while the gate itself spans 5 meters.