Constantinople-Long Walls

The Long Walls of Thrace

Once forming the outer defense system of the Constantinople, the Anastasian Walls lie 65 km west of the city in the rugged terrain of Thrace. Originally extending over 50 km. from the Black Sea to the Marmara, the masonry wall was complemented with ditches, towers, and forts. Although less than half still survives, it is nevertheless an impressive monument, comparable to Hadrian's Wall in England.
A series of aqueducts and channels in the same area once formed part of the water system of the capital. The Long Wall is now being surveyed under the direction of British archaeologist James Crow from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne.