Kerkoport ( Greek .ερκόπορτα ; which translates as Circus Gate) is a small gate (or gate) of the Theodosius walls , one of the key places of the last siege of Constantinople in 1453.
| Sight | |
| Kerkoport | |
|---|---|
 Bagryanorodny Palace (on the right) and the adjacent section of the Theodosius Walls , to the left of which Kerkoport was most likely | |
| A country |  Turkey |
Location
The exact location of Kerkoporta is unknown, the gate was located on the northern section of the walls. It is widely believed that they were between the 96th tower of the Theodosius Walls and the southern corner of the Bagryanorodny Palace . Until now, this section of the wall has not been preserved; now there is a road to a parking lot near Tekfur Saray Park. According to other sources, the gate was located at the northern corner of the Bagryanorodny Palace, or much closer to the Golden Horn , at the tower of Isaac Angel. Some sources report that by the last siege, the ground level at the wall had risen significantly, and the arch of the gate was 2 times lower.
The fall of Constantinople
The role of Kerkoporta is known from the materials of Duki . On May 29, 1453, about fifty Turks quietly entered the wall through Kerkoport. The gates were used in the previous days by the Genoese of the Bokkiardi brothers for sorties and, as it is believed, someone either forgot to close them, or did this on purpose, betraying the Byzantines. The bursting Turks climbed the wall and set a green flag there. Most likely, the battle continued in the Kerkoporta area when the Turks broke through the defenses of the gates of St. Roman ( Fifth Military Gate ) and killed the emperor there.
Literature
- Ransimen S. The fall of Constantinople in 1453. - M.: Science, 1983.
- Ivanov S. A. In Search of Constantinople. A guide to Byzantine Istanbul and the surrounding area. - M .: Around the World, 2011. - ISBN 978-5-98652-382-8