1600 year old Harbor of Theodosius in Istanbul
The Harbor of Theodosius in Istanbul dates back to the period of 4th century A.D. It was unearthed in Yenikapi in Istanbul. Various works of excavation in Yenikapi, Sirkeci and Uskudar count among the splendor remains of archaeology belonging to the periods ranging from Ottoman, Roman, Byzantine, Ancient Greek and Neolithic times.
Istanbul, which happens to be capital of these two empires for several centuries has been successfully preserving its importance in all the periods of history till now. Travelers from the world over have been inspired by the majestic beauty of the districts of Pera and Galata, the Golden Horn, the Virgin’s Tower and its grand mosques atop the seven hills. However, as of now, the city is facing the problem of transportation which originated way back in the 19th century and persists even today. The problem was meant to be solved by the construction of rail link projects namely Marmaray and the Metro. These two projects by the Department of Transportation will help in making a rail link between Asian and the European continents through a tunnel beneath the Bosphorus.
In the year 2004, the Istanbul Archaeological Museums undertook the work of archaeological excavations around the terminals before proceeding with the digging work for the Marmaray and the Metro construction. These excavations which are being carried out by the efforts of dig teams have unearthed several cultural treasures of historical importance for Istanbul.
The Harbor of Theodosius, which is regarded to be the most prominent harbor of the Byzantine era, is the result of these archaeological excavations. This harbor was unearthed in Yenikapi (‘Vlanga’ in the Ottoman times). The district of Yenikapi was known to be the fruit and vegetable garden of Istanbul. it has also become known by reading the notes of the travelers visiting Istanbul during the mid-16th century that the Harbor of Theodosius, built during the 4th century and used till 7th century was used as a truck garden after it silted up and became a part of the mainland.
Excavations undertaken at Yenikapi
Although the location of this harbor of Istanbul, namely, the Theodosius’ harbor was known from the maps in the ancient times, however, there was no knowledge about its exact size, position and the layout of this harbor which played an important role in the economy of the Byzantine period.
Founded on the crossroads between the Balkans and Anatolia and the pathway extending from the Aegean right up to the Black Sea, Byzantion’s location was a great contributor to the development of the city, so mush so that it dominated various commercial routes.
To meet the growing needs of the expanding capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Theodosius I commissioned the construction of the Theodosius Harbor between 379-395 A.D. so, a breakwater extending from east to west along the south way of a natural bay was built for creating this harbor. And a large tower that stood at the far end for keeping a guard on the entrance of the harbor was among several other structures and silos for keeping the grain brought by big ships from Alexandria and neighboring ports that stood around the harbor. Sources claim that the Alexandria silo was the only silo of the city that was in wide use during the 10th century when this harbor silted up.
During the archaeological excavation undertaken in the harbor, 34 ships were excavated out of which 21 were in the Metro while 13 were in the Marmaray excavations. Once again, this harbor silted up from the alluvion brought by the waters of the Lycos (Bayrampasa) River which emptied in the natural bay. Apart from the alluvion, the built of enormous silt was also the result of the construction and farming carried out in the city.
From the excavations, it came to the notice that the majority of the shipwrecks in the Theodosius Harbor are at the eastern side nearing the entrance of the harbor. While the harbor was thought to have been silted up from the western end towards the east, the eastern end continued to be in wide use till a natural calamity that took place in the 10th or the beginning of the 11th century rendered extensive damage to the ships there.
The YK 1 ship that carried amphorae from the Marmara Island and was anchored here was claimed by the excavations to have been sunk. The YK 12 was another shipwreck that was found in the excavations in the area of the harbor. Several fragments of amphorae along with 16 intact amphorae were found on this YK 12. Although, at present, the exact cause of the disaster that struck these ships cannot be found, however, the assumption is some natural disaster or tragedy including tsunami or a storm might be the possible reason behind the cause of the disaster to these ships.
The history of Istanbul has got some very crucial data from the architectural remains recovered to the western side of the Yenikapi excavation area in the work being carried out in the 3rd and 2nd Zone towards the east. A quay consisting of stone blocks of rectangular shape has been found at the western edge within the breakwater.
The excavations in the Metro area uncovered a church building that was believed to be built in the 13th century A.D. when large amount of silt was piling up in the harbor. And around this church building were found twenty-three graves. The excavations also unearthed a gold coin belonging to the time of Justinian the Great (527-565 A.D.).
In the Yenikapi excavations being carried out under the Marmaray and Metro Project, nearly 25,000 artifacts have been unearthed so far. And the most distinguishing factor or such findings happens to be the vital information provided by them regarding day-to-day life, economy, trade, culture and religious aspects of the period to which they belong. Some of the findings uncovered during the excavations include hawsers of the sunken ships, inscribed image of a ship on an amphora that belongs to the 10th century, iron and stone anchors and baked clay tablets with names, place of origin of the owners of the ship inscribed on them. All such findings also provide important information regarding the types of ships and the shipping during the period.
Apart from the above named findings, there are nearly 2,500 items made of wood including combs, different varieties of spoons, bath clogs etc. that have been found by the excavation work. Also, a Christ figure, tools of bone and ivory, a bronze balance, bronze weights, lead tablets and a scale weight in the form of Athena’s bust throw light on the lifestyle of the period they belong.
Archaeological excavations in Sirkeci
Under the Marmaray Project, the archaeological works being carried out in the eastern and the western shafts and in the south and the north entrance areas of the Rail Station in Sirkeci provide an excellent opportunity for knowing the stratigraphy of the city of Istanbul. In such excavation works, several structural remains that belong to the period ranging from the Early Byzantine to the Byzantine and even the Late Ottoman times along with a considerable number of small items and pottery have been found. These relate important details about the different aspects of the life of these periods.
Archaeological excavations in Uskudar Square
As part of the Marmaray project, a large number of archaeological excavations were undertaken from the year 2004 which continued till the year 2008. These excavations conducted in the Uskudar Square found the remains of the foundation of a bazaar whose existence was although known from a number of other sources but was unable to have been unearthed so far. And to unearth the foundation of this bazaar, the workers involved in the excavation work had to drill up quite deep up to nearly 7 meters. The archaeological remains was found deep in the fill dirt. In the excavations, there were no traces or archaeological remains belonging to the Roman period or the earlier periods. But, the excavations uncovered a huge amount of pottery, along with coins, oil-lamps, stamp seals that dated back to the different periods ranging from the Roman period to the Late Roman period and the Byzantine period.
Finding historic water supply of Istanbul
The ancient villages that peep out from the antique walls in and around the old Istanbul seem to be quite self-contained. These small farm villages are really picturesque which can be still be found by anyone taking a stroll through the old city of Istanbul.
While continuing our talk about many of these exotic ancient villages in Istanbul that are reminiscent of the times gone by, how can we forget to make a mention about the Cistern of Aspar? This ancient cistern is located just in front of Sultan Selim I’s mosque if you follow the route from Carsamba and Fatih. Let us know some really interesting facts about this cistern and its role in the life of the old city of Istanbul.
In the year 1978, a Turkish friend of mine took me to visit and discover the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) that is quite close to the famous Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Sultanahmet. Although, at that time, the entry to this cistern was not open to general public, hence, we had no choice but to stand on the edge of a dark place to watch the dim shapes of nearly 336 sky-climbing pillars. As we stood in awe and completely amazed by the spectacular view, we felt pleased to hear a steady dripping sound. It was a cistern belonging to the sixth century, I was told.
Although, it did not seem to be of any importance to me, at least at that point of time of the visit, there is no denying the fact that today, the Yerebatan Sarnici happens to be one of the historic attractions of Istanbul. And it actually deserves to be known so for its magnificent walkways, haunting sound of the reed flute and its stupendous lighting, indeed, makes it a special attraction for visitors from far and wide. The tourists watch in awe the spectacular views provided at this place where several fishes can be seen swimming beneath the water.
As one goes a step further trekking besides the beautiful walkways, one feels excited and baffled by the beauty of the Gorgon Medusa (famous for its upside-down head) that adorns the base of one of the columns in the front. However, a noticeable fact that many forget to appreciate the role played by the cistern in providing water supply to not just the old Byzantium but even Constantinople and the city of Istanbul.
The water thus supplied to the city was collected from either of the two sources, that is, from the dense wooded areas of Trakya (Thrace) beyond the walls of the city or from the Belgrade Forest. Yerebatan Sarnici is the best among various water reservoirs, water towers, cisterns and aqueducts that helped it keep flowing. This has been authenticated by the survey conducted between the year 2000 and 2005. According to this survey done by the British Leverhulme Trust, Yerebatan was “one of the greatest achievements of hydraulic engineering known from antiquity.” The report of the survey further mentioned the fact that a large portion of this water source is still untapped because they are unmapped somewhere in the Trakya wooded areas.
The Aqueduct of Valens that is located in the busy Ataturk Bulvari and runs from the famous Golden Horn to the Fatih is one of the most conspicuous historical monuments. It dates back to 375 and runs nearly a kilometer or so. Originally, it might had been attached to a huge network of several pipes that took the water from beyond the Edirnekapi just along the various ridges of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Hills before reaching Beyazit Meydani. It is believed that this Aqueduct remained in use until the period of 19th century, which proves that it had been preserved well.
The Aqueduct of Valens happens to be the one and only structure that seems to have survived within the walled city. However, if you venture outside towards the Belgrade Forest, you will be greeted by several more such structures. Some of the famous among these include the Uzunkemer (Long Aqueduct) and the Egrikemer (Crooked Aqueduct). Both of these were the designer creations of Mimar Sinan, who had carved a special niche and name for his exquisitely made mosques during the power of Sultan Suleyman (the Magnificent). Apart from the above named structures made by Sinan, another famous structure from this architect includes Maglova Kemeri (Maglova Aqueduct). This structure dates back to the period of Emperor Justinian. However, there are several other beautiful historic reservoirs of water that are buried in the Belgrade Forest. These reservoirs still have water for Istanbul.
All the aqueducts left a noticeable mark on the city’s horizon, just as the stupendous ‘su terazı’ stone towers that were instrumental in dragging water from the gradients. One of them can be still be found in Sultanahmet just near the Milyon monument and at the entry point of the Yerebatan Sarnici. Also, there happen to be several other situated around the city of Istanbul including the famous three – one in Kilyos and the second one besides the Haydarpasa’s Karacaahmet Cemetery.
Additionally, there were a few other buildings that were involved in providing water in their neighborhoods. The famous among these include the ‘taksim’ (water distribution point). It was recently opened for general public and comprised of quite long building made of stones. This building closes the Taksim Square, the area which was once used for storage of water, and also the octagonal building situated just nearby which distributed the water around the nearby area. But there is no denying the fact that ubiquitous cesmes or fountains that still exist in various neighborhoods of the ancient city are indeed the final pieces of this network. Many of them still have attached brick storage tanks.
Several fountains were exquisite structures including the Hekimoglu Ali Pasa fountain, the Tophane Fountain at Kabatas, the Sultan Ahmet III Fountain that is situated just in front of the famous Topkapi Palace, and the Saliha Valide Hatun fountain in Azapkapi. Efforts are being made to restore many of these fountains back to their original glory and splendor by the technically advanced water-selling companies. The sebils, which were paired with the cesmes, were small kiosks that were enclosed by grills. These grills were usually attached to the outer wall of the mosque. It was used to provide water to the thirsty people passing by.
The huge network of cisterns that was involved in storing water always kept quite low profile, as compared to the fountains, towers and the aqueducts. In fact, the cisterns seemed to have been forgotten by the city even as the population reduced resulting in less water requirement. Although, it may seem a bit hard to believe, but the truth is that the famous Yerebatan Sarnici also remained forgotten and neglected for almost centuries together. It was only discovered by Western visitor, Petrus Gyllius, a Frenchman of 16th century.
The popularity of Yerebatan among the tourists led to an increased interest in several other cisterns that dot the landscape of the city. For example, a cistern located just near Divan Yolu and known as the Binbirdirek Sarnici has become an entertainment center. Another cistern, the Theodosius Sarnici, which is just behind the Eminonu Belediyesi, is likely to be opened to the general public. Another ancient cistern now houses a restaurant named the Sarnic Restaurant while another functions as the Sultan Sarnic restaurant in Carsamba.
It is yet to be ascertained about the exact role of the open-air cisterns in providing water to different parts of the city. It is because some people argue that the water stored in these cisterns was left bare in the air so as to be purified. However, the fact remains that they were large storage houses of water used for irrigating fields nearby.
The ancient villages that peep out from the antique walls in and around the old Istanbul seem to be quite self-contained. These small farm villages are really picturesque which can be still be found by anyone taking a stroll through the old city of Istanbul.
While continuing our talk about many of these exotic ancient villages in Istanbul that are reminiscent of the times gone by, how can we forget to make a mention about the Cistern of Aspar? This ancient cistern is located just in front of Sultan Selim I’s mosque if you follow the route from Carsamba and Fatih. Let us know some really interesting facts about this cistern and its role in the life of the old city of Istanbul.
In the year 1978, a Turkish friend of mine took me to visit and discover the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici) that is quite close to the famous Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya) in Sultanahmet. Although, at that time, the entry to this cistern was not open to general public, hence, we had no choice but to stand on the edge of a dark place to watch the dim shapes of nearly 336 sky-climbing pillars. As we stood in awe and completely amazed by the spectacular view, we felt pleased to hear a steady dripping sound. It was a cistern belonging to the sixth century, I was told.
Although, it did not seem to be of any importance to me, at least at that point of time of the visit, there is no denying the fact that today, the Yerebatan Sarnici happens to be one of the historic attractions of Istanbul. And it actually deserves to be known so for its magnificent walkways, haunting sound of the reed flute and its stupendous lighting, indeed, makes it a special attraction for visitors from far and wide. The tourists watch in awe the spectacular views provided at this place where several fishes can be seen swimming beneath the water.
As one goes a step further trekking besides the beautiful walkways, one feels excited and baffled by the beauty of the Gorgon Medusa (famous for its upside-down head) that adorns the base of one of the columns in the front. However, a noticeable fact that many forget to appreciate the role played by the cistern in providing water supply to not just the old Byzantium but even Constantinople and the city of Istanbul.
The water thus supplied to the city was collected from either of the two sources, that is, from the dense wooded areas of Trakya (Thrace) beyond the walls of the city or from the Belgrade Forest. Yerebatan Sarnici is the best among various water reservoirs, water towers, cisterns and aqueducts that helped it keep flowing. This has been authenticated by the survey conducted between the year 2000 and 2005. According to this survey done by the British Leverhulme Trust, Yerebatan was “one of the greatest achievements of hydraulic engineering known from antiquity.” The report of the survey further mentioned the fact that a large portion of this water source is still untapped because they are unmapped somewhere in the Trakya wooded areas.
The Aqueduct of Valens that is located in the busy Ataturk Bulvari and runs from the famous Golden Horn to the Fatih is one of the most conspicuous historical monuments. It dates back to 375 and runs nearly a kilometer or so. Originally, it might had been attached to a huge network of several pipes that took the water from beyond the Edirnekapi just along the various ridges of Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Hills before reaching Beyazit Meydani. It is believed that this Aqueduct remained in use until the period of 19th century, which proves that it had been preserved well.
The Aqueduct of Valens happens to be the one and only structure that seems to have survived within the walled city. However, if you venture outside towards the Belgrade Forest, you will be greeted by several more such structures. Some of the famous among these include the Uzunkemer (Long Aqueduct) and the Egrikemer (Crooked Aqueduct). Both of these were the designer creations of Mimar Sinan, who had carved a special niche and name for his exquisitely made mosques during the power of Sultan Suleyman (the Magnificent). Apart from the above named structures made by Sinan, another famous structure from this architect includes Maglova Kemeri (Maglova Aqueduct). This structure dates back to the period of Emperor Justinian. However, there are several other beautiful historic reservoirs of water that are buried in the Belgrade Forest. These reservoirs still have water for Istanbul.
All the aqueducts left a noticeable mark on the city’s horizon, just as the stupendous ‘su terazı’ stone towers that were instrumental in dragging water from the gradients. One of them can be still be found in Sultanahmet just near the Milyon monument and at the entry point of the Yerebatan Sarnici. Also, there happen to be several other situated around the city of Istanbul including the famous three – one in Kilyos and the second one besides the Haydarpasa’s Karacaahmet Cemetery.
Additionally, there were a few other buildings that were involved in providing water in their neighborhoods. The famous among these include the ‘taksim’ (water distribution point). It was recently opened for general public and comprised of quite long building made of stones. This building closes the Taksim Square, the area which was once used for storage of water, and also the octagonal building situated just nearby which distributed the water around the nearby area. But there is no denying the fact that ubiquitous cesmes or fountains that still exist in various neighborhoods of the ancient city are indeed the final pieces of this network. Many of them still have attached brick storage tanks.
Several fountains were exquisite structures including the Hekimoglu Ali Pasa fountain, the Tophane Fountain at Kabatas, the Sultan Ahmet III Fountain that is situated just in front of the famous Topkapi Palace, and the Saliha Valide Hatun fountain in Azapkapi. Efforts are being made to restore many of these fountains back to their original glory and splendor by the technically advanced water-selling companies. The sebils, which were paired with the cesmes, were small kiosks that were enclosed by grills. These grills were usually attached to the outer wall of the mosque. It was used to provide water to the thirsty people passing by.
The huge network of cisterns that was involved in storing water always kept quite low profile, as compared to the fountains, towers and the aqueducts. In fact, the cisterns seemed to have been forgotten by the city even as the population reduced resulting in less water requirement. Although, it may seem a bit hard to believe, but the truth is that the famous Yerebatan Sarnici also remained forgotten and neglected for almost centuries together. It was only discovered by Western visitor, Petrus Gyllius, a Frenchman of 16th century.
The popularity of Yerebatan among the tourists led to an increased interest in several other cisterns that dot the landscape of the city. For example, a cistern located just near Divan Yolu and known as the Binbirdirek Sarnici has become an entertainment center. Another cistern, the Theodosius Sarnici, which is just behind the Eminonu Belediyesi, is likely to be opened to the general public. Another ancient cistern now houses a restaurant named the Sarnic Restaurant while another functions as the Sultan Sarnic restaurant in Carsamba.
It is yet to be ascertained about the exact role of the open-air cisterns in providing water to different parts of the city. It is because some people argue that the water stored in these cisterns was left bare in the air so as to be purified. However, the fact remains that they were large storage houses of water used for irrigating fields nearby.
The Hippodrome of Constantinople | Sultanahmet Square of Istanbul
Blue Mosque and Obelisk in Sultanahmet Istanbul Old City
Seeing people enjoying their Sunday afternoons on the calm lush green lawns of Hippodrome, it is quite difficult to believe that this is the same place where numerous royal celebrations, chariot races and deadly massacres took place many centuries ago.
And when the park is adorned with white lights during the month of Ramadan along with elephant rides arranged for kids, all the signs of its complex past are completely wiped away. It has been aptly named as ‘At Meydani’ or ‘Sultanahmet Meydani’ (Horse Square or Horse Grounds in Turkish) due to its function in the Ottoman period.
The word hippodrome owes its name to the two Greek words namely ‘hippos’ meaning horse and ‘dromos’ meaning racing path or track. The face that the favorite pastimes of the people in the ancient times were chariot racing and horse racing made hippodromes a peculiar and prominent feature of almost all the Greek cities in the Byzantine, Roman and even the Hellenistic periods.
The first Hippodrome was built in the Greek times when the city was called Byzantium. The Hippodrome was the heart and soul of not just the political life but also the sporting life of Constantinople (the city of Constantine the Great). It was a Greek stadium that was a venue for several horse races as well as polo games on the track built by Septimus Severus between 203 A.D. and 324 A.D.
Constantine the Great enlarged and renovated the Hippodrome that was modeled on Rome’s the Circus Maximus. He used several stone walls and vaults for providing support. The Hippodrome continued to be a scene of riots and games in the 500 years of the history of Ottoman Empire.
The only difference between the two hippodromes was that just four chariot races could be organized at a time in the Roman Circus while the Greek hippodrome had the capacity to hold more than ten races at a time as the size of the latter was larger than the former, measuring nearly 400 feet.
The Hippodrome was nearly 427 feet wide and 1476 feet long. It had 40 rows of seats and a capacity of accommodating nearly 100,000 supporters. Due to political rivalries between the various merchant guilds including Greens, Blues, Reds and Whites. The result was the Nika Revolt in 532 A.D. which eventually caused extensive damage to the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) Church and the imperial palace.
More than 30,000 people were massacred as a punishment on the orders of Justinian the Great after he regained power. Later on during the Fourth Crusade, the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453. These Turks had simply no interest in horse racing and did not bother to do any restoration efforts for the Hippodrome. Instead, they started using the Hippodrome as a marble quarry and the Hippodrome was forgotten slowly and gradually.
During its peak glory, the Hippodrome was adorned with a huge collection of historical monuments and trophies that were either made by skilled artisans of the city or brought from different corners of the Ottoman Empire.
The Column of Constantine or the Walled Obelisk (Magnetic Column/the Colossus) is located at the southern corner of the park. It was built on the instructions of Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus in the 10th century and was decorated with brass plates and bronze plaques. However, these embellishments were melted to mint coins in 1204 by the Crusaders.
Situated at a short distance away is the Serpentine Column originally erected in front of Delphi’s Temple of Apollo by Greek city-states to celebrate their win over the Persians. However, the column is only 25 percent of its original size of 8 m. the column is made of bronze and has three intertwined serpents. Earlier, it had a gold bowl that was provided support by heads of three gold serpents. However, the heads were believed to have been lost until one head was rediscovered during the restoration work of the famous Ayasofya.
Another outstanding monument of architecture in the city happens to be the Obelisk of Tutmosis III. The obelisk weighing 60 tons was brought by Emperor Theodosius I. it is made of granite with hieroglyphics depicting the glory of the god Horus and the pharaoh. It was brought to the square in 390 A.D. nearly two millennia after the time of its carving. Almost two-third of the obelisk was damaged or lost during transportation. At present, the obelisk is nearly 65 feet high.
In the north corner of the Hippodrome lays the Fountain of Willhelm II, also known as Alman Cesmesi. It was built originally in Germany and later on assembled in the city of Istanbul to mark the emperor’s city visit in 1895. One can find the signatures of Sultan Abdulhamid and the German monarch in golden mosaics inside the dome of the fountain.
The statue of four bronze horses happened to be the crowning glory of the Hippodrome. However, it was looted and taken away to the Basilica of St. Marco in Venice during the lootings in the city in the Fourth Crusade in 1204.
Another exquisite monument of historical architecture located in the northern corner of the Hippodrome is the Million Stone. Modeled on the Millaiarium Aureum, it was erected by Julius Caesar in Rome.
The Hippodrome was a favorite venue for numerous important and lavish occasions including circumcision ceremony of Sultan Ahmed III’s sons which spanned for days together.
