The Walls of Constantinople 

AD324 - 1453

By Stephen Turnbull. Illustrated by Peter Dennis
RSP £10.99/$16.95
Osprey Fortress Series No.25 ISBN 1 84176 759X
A review by Dave Lanchester

It's not often that something takes me so completely by surprise but my gob was truly smacked, when I discovered the extent of the architectural achievement in the building of this monumental defence. "The walls of Constantinople are the greatest surviving example of European medieval military architecture". After reading the book I must concur with this statement. The landward side of the city consisted of three parallel walls and a moat stretching five miles. The moat itself is some 60ft wide and 20ft deep! This was supported by the first wall of a modest 6ft in height. The city's strength in depth lay with the outer and inner walls of huge proportions.

Constantinople is built on a peninsula, the waters of the Bosphorus, Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara offer natural protection augmented by a sea wall that can be compared in size with the outer wall on the landward side.

The landward walls, called the Theodosian walls after the emperor, were completed in 423. This served to increase the area of the city from the perimeters laid down by Constantine. In 447 earthquakes flattened most of the new walls and 57 of its towers. With speed and urgency brought on by the threat of Attila they were repaired in three months. One third of the city's land tax was spent in the building, repair and upkeep of the walls and all citizens were required to assist in this work.

As you would expect from any book by Stephen Turnball, the text is well written and easy to follow, the wonderful illustrations of Peter Dennis and the numerous photographs by the author and others compliment the work.

A good introduction and a brief chronology give way to a chapter on the design and development of the walls followed by a tour of the site. Stephen goes on to describe strategy and supply and those who manned the walls and the weapons for siege and defence. 

The great walls were to be tested several times during their long history; using primary sources Stephen takes the reader through them and the aftermath of the successful Ottoman siege of 1453. 

For those wishing to visit the walls Stephen spells out the do's and don'ts of such an undertaking, chiefly your personnel security. It would seem that the walls are not on any tourist itinerary, save for those near other popular sites. So, if you're contemplating a visit to Istanbul take this with you.

Highly recommended, a gem.

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