Walls of Istanbul – The Topkapi

Istanbul, which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire at the time, was surrounded by walls of about 20 kilometers at that time. This line of defense protected the city from numerous attempts of conquest between 413 and 1453.

These Byzantine ruins that spread over the historical peninsula of the city are examined in three sections as land, sea, and Golden Horn; approximately 6.5 kilometers of the line are in the form of land walls. The other walls are based on the defense of the city against attacks from the sea by extending along the shores of the Golden Horn and the Marmara Sea. The walls on the land are still standing partially or significantly in many parts of Istanbul today and draw attention with their gates, most of which were built during the Byzantine period.

For trade, military or routine reasons, the passages between the interior and exterior of the land walls were made through the gates opening to the walls. Before the conquest of Istanbul by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, it is known that there were 45 gates on the walls. 11 of the gates, most of which were closed after the conquest, are open and can be visited today. One of these gates is the Topkapi.

Topkapi is located in the middle of the walls that run parallel to each other and cross the Vatan and Millet streets in Fatih district of Istanbul... It is also a public gate since it is located between the 4th and 5th military gates. Consequently, people used to enter and exit here for routine business and commercial matters.

Topkapı was destroyed during the conquest of Istanbul. Then it had to be rebuilt. During the rebuilding, several cannon balls used in the conflicts during the conquest was placed on the gate. It takes its name exactly from here. An inscription on the right of the door describing the conquest of May 1453 is also among the outstanding elements.

During the siege of Istanbul, the weakest part of the walls was where Topkapi is today. Therefore, very intense collisions occurred in this part. Therefore, Topkapi became a place that attracts the most with its spiritual significance because of its location.