Ἀναστάσειον Τεῖχος(in Greek) Anastasius Suru(in Turkish) | |
 Map showing the course of the wall | |
  Anastasian Wall Shown within Turkey | |
| Alternative name | Long Walls of Thrace |
|---|---|
| Location | Istanbul,Istanbul Province,Turkey |
| Region | Thrace |
| Coordinates | 41°12′0″N28°20′0″E / 41.20000°N 28.33333°E /41.20000; 28.33333 |
| Type | Defensive wall |
| Length | 56 km (35 mi) |
| Width | 3.3 m (11 ft) |
| Height | 5 m (16 ft) |
| History | |
| Periods | Early Medieval |
TheAnastasian Wall (Greek:Ἀναστάσειον Τεῖχος,Anastáseion Teîchos;Turkish:Anastasius Suru) or theLong Walls ofThrace (Greek:Μακρὰ Τείχη τῆς Θράκης,Makrà Teíchē tês Thrákēs; Turkish:Uzun Duvar) or simplyLong Wall / Macron Teichos (Ancient Greek:Μακρὸν τεῖχος)[1][2] is an ancient stone and turffortification located 64 km (40 mi) west ofConstantinople, built by theEastern Roman Empire during the late 5th century.
Originally some 56 km (35 mi) long, it stretches from Evcik İskelesi inÇatalca at theBlack Sea coast across the Thracianpeninsula to the coast of theSea of Marmara at 6 km (3.7 mi) west ofSilivri (ancient Selymbria). It ran from north to south through the locations what are today Karacaköy, Gümüşpınar, Pınarca, Kurfallı, Fener, Alipaşa Neighborhood and Silivri Altınorak. Remains of the wall are visible in Gümüşpınar junction in Karacaköy, Hisartepe in Yalıköy, Pınarca in İhsaniye and Kurfallı village.[3] The wall was part of an additional outer defense system forConstantinople, capital of theEastern Roman Empire and probably continued in use until the 7th century.
The wall was named after the EmperorAnastasius I (r. 491–518). However, there is evidence that the fortification already existed in 469 during the reign ofLeo I (r. 457–474) and in 478 in the era ofZeno (r. 476–491), and it was maintained and renewed by Anastasius in the time from 507 to 512. The wall had a thickness of 3.3 m (11 ft) and a height over 5 m (16 ft). It was built complete with towers, gates, forts, ditches and a military way to protect Constantinople from invasions from the west byHuns,Slavs andBulgars. A rectangularcastrum with dimensions of 250 m (820 ft) by 300 m (980 ft) existed also in the central section of the wall.
It is known that the wall had only a limited effectiveness, and various groups attacking Constantinople penetrated it many times, because the fortification's length made it difficult to defend the wall completely by a limitedgarrison, and also because the wall was not sufficiently strong due to its hasty construction.[4][5]
The wall fell into ruin after it was abandoned in the 7th century because of the difficulty of keeping it manned and repaired. Over the centuries, the stone of more than half of the total length was reused in other local buildings. It is best preserved in the woodlands of the northern sector.[4]
