Walls of Istanbul - The Sulukule Gate

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 Sulukule Gate...

The Sulukule Gate is called by this name, based on its function. In the past centuries, the gate used to enter the city from outside water was relatively small and its security was provided by the tower called the water tower. The name of the gate in the Fatih district is therefore the Sulukule Gate.

The walls on both sides of Sulukule, one of the first gates with breaches along the walls, are mostly in ruins. The cross relief on the door is remarkable, and there are also some Greek writings that can be seen when you look closely.