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Smyrna in the Byzantine and Medieval Periods
The modern city of İzmir is built directly on top of ancient Smyrna. Because of this, only limited archaeological excavation is possible today. Many...
Ancient Smyrna The Beginnings of the City
The earliest settlement of Smyrna was located at the Tepekule tumulus in modern Bayraklı, on a small peninsula along the Aegean Sea. Archaeological evidence...
The Cemetery Above the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers
The ruins of a large cemetery can be seen above the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers in Ephesus. Together with the many graves around...
Rivers and Trade Routes
Western Anatolia is shaped by several important rivers that flow from the interior toward the Aegean Sea. These rivers are dry for most of...
The Lydians and Their Influence
In addition to their strong skills in sailing and trade, the Greek cities of western Anatolia faced an important political power to the east:...
From Villages to City-States
Literary sources and archaeological evidence suggest that many early settlements in western Anatolia began as small villages ruled by hereditary kings. Over time, especially...
Theories About the Path of the Theodosian Walls
After the Kerko Porta, the Theodosian Walls, which were the main line of defense for Constantinople, did not continue in a straight line. Historians...
The Fortifications
The Fortifications on the North-Western Side of the City Before the Seventh Century
The Theodosian Walls, which were the main defenses of Constantinople, end abruptly...
A Misunderstanding About the Monastery
The well-known historian Dr. Paspates once believed that the building near the walls of Constantinople was the Monastery of the Seven Orders of the...
The Known Gates of Constantine’s Seaboard Wall
Among the sea-facing gates of Constantine's wall in ancient Constantinople, only one can be identified with certainty: the Gate of St. Emilianus. This gate...
