The Mighty Walls of Constantinople

The "land walls" of Constantinople were one of the wonders of the medieval world. Built by Emperor Theodosius around 400 A.D., they stood, unbreached, for over 1,000 years. Only when the Turks arrived, with that newfangled invention called cannon, in 1453 did they finally yield to an invader.

The walls, three layers deep, still greet travelers to Istanbul, who must pass through them to reach the old city from the airport:

Some places have been obviously restored, while others were more crumbled than I expected:


Nevertheless, even in ruin it's obvious what an immense fortification it was. And a suitable welcome to this most storied of imperial capitals.