Three Successive Gates
The next three gates along the Harbour Walls of Constantinople are known today as Odun Kapan Kapoussi, Zindan Kapoussi, and Balouk Bazaar Kapoussi. In...
Walls Along the Golden Horn
The Porta Platea and Its Identification
The next gate mentioned by Pusculus and Dolfin is the Porta Platea, also called the Porta alla Piazza. This...
Identifying the Gate of Melantiados
There is good reason to believe that the gate known as Porta Melantiados (Πόρτα Μελαντιάδος) or Pyle Melandesia (Πύλη Μελανδεσίας) is the same as...
Gate of Selivria
The Gate of Selivria (Selivri Kapısı) and Its Historical Importance
The next major public gate in the Theodosian Walls is known today as Selivri Kapısı....
Gates in the Theodosian Walls
The Second Military Gate
The Theodosian Walls of Constantinople were one of the greatest defense systems of the ancient world. These walls had several gates,...
The Ballroom and Its Use
We asked the handsome young aide-de-camp, who had been assigned by His Imperial Majesty to show us around the palaces, how a ballroom was...
The Sultan’s Palaces
The Sultan of Turkey has many palaces, but most of them were built by his predecessors, not by him. He has not built any...
The Nine Gates of St. Sophia
St. Sophia, also known as Hagia Sophia, has nine gates that lead into the building. Over the central gate, through which the emperor entered,...
The Sultan and the Pilgrimage to Mecca
Seeing the Sultan
Very few people were able to see the Sultan in person. Their only chance was on Friday, when he would ride through...
Photography Rules and Religious Pilgrimages in Ottoman Constantinople
Limited Photography of Public Officials
Public officials in Turkey do not have their portraits painted or photographs taken as often as leaders in Christian countries....
