Stratonikeia - a walk through a time tunnel of ancient civilisations

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 09/18/2025 - 17:38

Text and photos by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

I have never been a fan of the reconstruction of ancient cities, for me much of their history is not just in the ruins themselves but in the earthquakes, battles and other disasters that have befallen these sites. The mysteries hidden in the ruins, the broken fragments of times gone by. For example, the column that once stood so majestically at the temple of Apollo in Didyma, now lays in an aesthetic, concertinaed pattern behind the sanctuary. One can almost feel the earth shaking and imagine the mighty columns swaying before they fell. You can almost hear the reverberating, thunderous noise they made as they toppled to earth. It must have been a terrifying experience, had anyone witnessed it. The ruins tell their own story, so I believe it would be a travesty to reconstruct them and to destroy this part of their history.

Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 09/15/2025 - 10:46

The Land Walls of Constantinople — one of the longest and oldest surviving defence systems in Europe — stretch for 7.2 kilometres along the western edge of the Historical Peninsula of modern-day Istanbul. Built in the early 5th century CE and added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985, this monumental fortification includes the 5.7 km-long Theodosian Walls and the Blachernae Walls, which extend from the Tekfur Palace (Palace of the Porphyrogenitus) to the Golden Horn. For centuries, these formidable barriers protected Constantinople from countless sieges. The walls are pierced by numerous gates — some dating back to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) era, others added later during Ottoman times.

Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople - a restored section

Belgrade (Xylokerkos) Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

Submitted by Iza on Thu, 09/11/2025 - 16:48

The Xylokerkos or Xerokerkos Gate of the Theodosian Land Walls of Constantinople, now known as the Belgrade Gate (Belgrat Kapısı), stands between towers 22 and 23, around 750 meters to the north of the Yedikule Fortress. Its name derives from the fact that it led to a wooden circus (amphitheatre) outside the walls. The gate complex is approximately 12 meters wide and almost 20 meters high, while the gate itself spans 5 meters.

Belgrade (Xylokerkos) Gate of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

Zeyrek Cistern in Istanbul

Submitted by Iza on Tue, 09/09/2025 - 13:05

Tucked beneath the sloping streets of Istanbul’s historic Zeyrek neighbourhood, just below the Zeyrek Mosque (once the Monastery of Christ Pantocrator), lies one of the city's most atmospheric rediscoveries: the Zeyrek Cistern. Recently restored and opened to the public, this Byzantine structure was originally part of the water system supporting the grand monastery complex above. Today, it offers travellers a quieter, more intimate alternative to the well-trodden Basilica Cistern.

Ayakapı Bathhouse in Istanbul

Submitted by Iza on Sat, 09/06/2025 - 12:00

Ayakapı is a small neighborhood located on the shores of the Golden Horn in the Fatih district of Istanbul. During the Byzantine period, the district was known as Ta Dexiokratiana or Dexiokràtous. The district's most important historical structure is the Gül Mosque, built as a church during the Byzantine period and later converted into a mosque during the Ottoman period. Another important structure is the Ayakapı Bathhouse, built by the architect Sinan in 1582, also known as the Havuzlu Hamam (Pool Bathhouse). Located on the shores of the Golden Horn between Fener and Cibali, the building, also known among the public as the "Cibali Bath", was built by Mimar Sinan in 1582 for Nurbanu Sultan, the wife of Selim II and mother of Murad III, to generate income for the Atik Valide Sultan Complex in Üsküdar.