The Harbour of Theodosius (Greek: λιμήν Θεοδοσίου; earlier called the Harbour of Eleutherios: λιμήν Ἐλευθερίου) was the largest port of ancient Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, dating after 400 AD. It may have looked similar to these computer-generated pictures of the harbor:
Additional links on this website:
Additional links on this website:
Click here for: "Visit to Side #1"
Click here for: "Paul's First Journey - Part 2: Traveling from Cyprus to Southern Turkey"
Click here for: "Siege of Constantinople 1453 - Part #1"
Click here for: "Flying from Istanbul (IST) to Antalya"
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| http://byzantinemilitary.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-harbor-of-theodosius.html |
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| http://byzantinemilitary.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-harbor-of-theodosius.html |
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| http://byzantinemilitary.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-harbor-of-theodosius.html |
The Byzantines built five harbors around the city. These can be clearly seen on the reconstructed map, below:
- on the Sea of Marmara (south side) - the Theodosian, Julian and the Boukoleon Palace harbors, and
- on the Golden Horn (north side) - the Neorion and Prosphorion harbors
For today's study:
The Harbor of Theodosius was located on the left side, on the Sea of Marmara. Locate it on this great map.
I've also circled it in red on the Google map, below.
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| Google Maps, 2014 |
Thousands of artifacts were discovered in 1994 after digging began on a subway station on the site of the old harbor. Following is a report about the archaeological excavations and construction projects there during the last 10 years.
The ships were the most important findings in the excavations.
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| http://media.worldbulletin.net/250x190/2011/02/17/batik-muze.jpg |
It is now the site of the newly-completed Yenikapı Station for the railroad and Marmaray Metro line that connects the European side of Istanbul with the Asian side.
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| http://www.rayhaber.com/wp-content/uploads/marmaray-yenikapi-resimleri.jpg |
Excavation of the Yenikapı site began in 2004. Archaeologists from the Istanbul Archaeological Museums excavated the harbor built during the reign of Theodosius I (379-395 CE) and used for both trade and the military. The Lykos River (seen the the "reconstructed view" above) drained into the harbor and silted it in around 1500 CE. Thereafter, the harbor fell into disuse and the area was used for agriculture. In Ottoman times, it was built over by houses. The harbor lay forgotten for centuries.
The site became one of the world’s largest archaeological digs (+58,000 square meters), and engaged hundreds of laborers. The wet soil revealed foundations of mud huts and burial sites from the Neolithic period (6000 BC) and 1000's of Byzantine artifacts like wooden combs, leather shoes, bones of dockside horses and camels, and even human skulls of criminals whose severed heads may have been tossed into the harbor.
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| http://blog.iae.org.tr/index.php/yayinlar/istanbul-arastirmalari-yilligi/?lang=en |
The Yenikapi wrecks constitute the largest collection of ancient ships ever found in one place. These represent the first-ever excavated samples of Byzantine rowed warships, as well as merchant vessels. Archaeologists uncovered remains of 37 separate vessels dating from the 4th-11th centuries.
Photo above: Notice the existing train line running on the right side which parallels the Marmara shore and runs to the historic Sirkeci Train Station - seen on map of Istanbul's Rapid Transit System, below.
The recovery of the Yenikapi ships (slide show) was undertaken by Istanbul University’s Conservation Department and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INC). A total of eight hulls were excavated by teams from the Istanbul Archaeological Museum under the direction of Texas A&M professor Cemal Pulak.
Conditions were difficult: heat and dust in the summer, and rain and mud in the winter. The ships - located 1 meter below sea level - were covered with tents during the work.
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| http://www.olkas.net/gallery/Images/ports/Theodosius/2.jpg |
While many of the wooden boards and timbers were intact and well-preserved in the mud and silt, others were fragile, with the consistency of wet cardboard.
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| http://medya.todayszaman.com/todayszaman/2011/08/28/yenikapi.jpg |
Archaeologists found hundreds of anchors, 170 gold coins, thousands of clay, ivory, bronze, wooden and porcelain objects, and bones of camels, bears, ostriches, elephants, lions and humans. They also discovered a Neolithic settlement dating back 8000 years at a depth of 6 meters below sea level.
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| http://cdn.ancient-origins.net/cdn/farfuture/hA-8GYLTKe1D7uFmxPUv-eJjlrwPvFHCYICK2Lly6mM/mtime:1398777713/sites/default/files/yenikapi-marmaray.jpg |
The discovery seriously delayed construction of this section of the billion-dollar transportation network - a 1.4 kilometer railway tunnel under the Sultanamet - old Istanbul. A team of 400 archaeologists, engineers, laborers and scientists raced to finish evacuations by 2012.
The tunnels are 60 meters below the ground's surface!
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| http://pmw.de/pm_online/data/CPD_Yenikapi1_504x334.jpg |
(Click here for an excellent technical description in German.)
Below is an overview photo of the city's tunnel and bridge projects, including the Marmaray Tunnel (orange), which cut under the Bosphorus and connect the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea:
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| http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/70780000/jpg/_70780203_9024c744-1ca2-46be-ba43-318bfe5826f2.jpg |
Below is a map of Istanbul's Rapid Transit System. It shows the underground line (blank and white) between Yenikapi and Sirkeci and its continuation across the Bosphorus.
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| http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Istanbul_Rapid_Transit_Map_%28schematic%29.png |
Notice that a train line (solid, gray line) runs along the Sea of Marmara and stops at the Yenikapi Station. It connects with the Marmaray Metro Line (dotted, gray line) that travels underground northeast to the Sirkici Station - the end station in Sultanamet for the Orient Express, before traveling under the Bosphorus to the Asian side.
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| www.haberevet.com |
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| http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/5375c710-114c-11e2-8d5f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3FYoClLFv |
Here's a good Youtube video taken inside the completed station: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIT9dqt9Pc0
A view in the Yenikapi Station, well below the old harbor:
Another project: In February, 2014, construction started on the Eurasia Tunnel, which also links the European and Asian sides in the Bosphorus at Istanbul:
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| http://www.worldbulletin.net/istanbul/134201/excavation-for-eurasia-tunnel-begins |
"Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the scheme will shorten the existing 100-minute cross-strait journey time to 15 minutes.
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| http://www.tunneltalk.com/images/world-top/World-Cities-Report4.jpg |
Erdogan made his remarks as he attended the inauguration of the tunnel boring process in a ceremony at Istanbul's Haydarpasa Loading Port [Asian side], where the tunnel boring machine, known as TBM, began carving out the route.
"Hopefully, the suffering known as 'bridge traffic' will become a thing of the past," he added.
Erdogan said the tunnel-boring machine will advance 10 meters a day on average from the Asian side to the European, a total of 14.6 kilometers.
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| http://www.raillynews.com/wp-content/uploads/After-Marmaray-project-Istanbul-will-have-the-second-passage-tube-build.jpg |
This particular tunnel has been designed for use only by light vehicles such as cars and minibuses. Heavier vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians will not be able to transit the tunnel."
http://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/315852--erdogan-inaugurates-boring-of-eurasia-tunnel
The railroad from Istanbul will eventually extend to China, assuming the Turks are thinking in terms of high-speed technology. This link (in German) explains such plans further East.
This map shows the existing and planned rail routes further to the North and beyond Turkey: (click on map to expand)
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| http://www.zukunft-mobilitaet.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/eisenbahnstrecke-china-tuerkei-bulgarien.jpg |
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In conclusion are three cool pics I found on gaming sites that used "Theodosius Harbor" in their search tags. They give you a rather romantic impression of the harbor - completely out-of-genre - as they have the wrong type of sailing ships and fortifications...
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| http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Harbor_of_Theodosius |
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| http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Harbor_of_Theodosius |
... and even views of mosques, which came much later in history. Still, they're pleasant to look at.
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| http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Harbor_of_Theodosius |
Links for additional Research:
The Yenikapi Shipwrecks: UFUK KOCABAŞ - Istanbul University, Turkey
Institute of Nautical Archeology: Yenikapı Byzantine Shipwrecks Excavation Study
Istanbul Train Terminal: Sirkeci Train Terminal
Additional links on this website:
Click here for: "Visit to Side #1"
Click here for: "Paul's First Journey - Part 2: Traveling from Cyprus to Southern Turkey"
Click here for: "Siege of Constantinople 1453 - Part #1"
Click here for: "Flying from Istanbul (IST) to Antalya"
The ships were the most important findings in the excavations. 
Photo above: Notice the existing train line running on the right side which parallels the Marmara shore and runs to the historic Sirkeci Train Station - seen on map of Istanbul's Rapid Transit System, below.
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